Appiah-Agyekum Nana Nimo, Nyamekye Mary Adebi, Agbenu Ivy Akushika, Otoo Desmond Dzidzornu
Department of Health Service Management, University of Ghana Business School, Legon, Ghana.
Department of Health Policy Planning and Management, University of Ghana School of Public Health, P. O. Box LG 13, Legon, Accra, Ghana.
BMC Public Health. 2025 Apr 26;25(1):1563. doi: 10.1186/s12889-025-22836-8.
Menstruation is a natural and inevitable process in females. However, adolescent girls continue to face challenges with several misconceptions and myths. Despite numerous efforts and campaigns, limited knowledge and unhygienic practices persist, leading to various adverse social and health outcomes. This study examined knowledge, practices and factors influencing menstrual hygiene management practices among female senior high school students in the New Juaben Municipality of Ghana.
A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted among 2 senior high schools. Students were selected using systematic random sampling. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire adapted from literature between August to September 2022. Data was entered into Microsoft Excel Software (2020) and then exported to STATA/MP version 17 (STATA Corp) for analysis. Descriptive statistics and multiple logistic regression were conducted with p-values ≤ 0.05 considered significant.
A total of 557 students were included in the study. 61.22% of students demonstrated good knowledge of menstruation, and 57.09% practiced good menstrual hygiene. Disposable sanitary pads were the most commonly used (97.44%) and preferred (93.25%) menstrual products. Most students changed their sanitary pads two or three times per day (47.49% and 47.30%, respectively). Nearly all participants (99%) bathed during menstruation, with water only (61.13%) being the most common method for genital cleaning. Logistic regression analysis revealed that students who lived with their mothers only (AOR = 1.88, 95% CI: 1.16-3.02, p = 0.01), had access to dedicated disposal bins (AOR = 2.20, 95% CI: 1.42-3.39, p < 0.001), and reported adequate facilities for menstrual hygiene needs (AOR = 0.60, 95% CI: 0.39-0.91, p = 0.017) were more likely to practice good menstrual hygiene.
Generally, female students had good MHM knowledge and practices with few misconceptions. The study underscores the importance of enhancing menstrual hygiene education, improving school infrastructure, and supporting family-based health education to promote safe and effective menstrual hygiene practices among adolescent girls. Targeted interventions involving schools, parents, and policymakers are needed to create a supportive environment that ensures menstrual health and educational continuity for all girls.
月经是女性自然且不可避免的生理过程。然而，青春期女孩仍然面临着一些误解和误区带来的挑战。尽管进行了诸多努力和开展了多项活动，但知识匮乏和卫生习惯不良的情况依然存在，导致了各种不良的社会和健康后果。本研究调查了加纳新朱阿本市高中女生在月经卫生管理方面的知识、做法以及影响这些做法的因素。
在两所高中开展了一项描述性横断面研究。采用系统随机抽样法选取学生。2022年8月至9月期间，使用从文献中改编而来的结构化问卷收集数据。数据录入Microsoft Excel软件（2020版），然后导出至STATA/MP 17版（STATA公司）进行分析。进行描述性统计和多因素逻辑回归分析，p值≤0.05被视为具有统计学意义。
共有557名学生纳入本研究。61.22%的学生对月经有良好的认知，57.09%的学生有良好的经期卫生习惯。一次性卫生巾是最常用（97.44%）且最受青睐（93.25%）的经期用品。大多数学生每天更换卫生巾两到三次（分别为47.49%和47.30%）。几乎所有参与者（99%）在月经期间洗澡，仅用水清洗（61.13%）是最常见的生殖器清洁方式。逻辑回归分析显示，仅与母亲同住的学生（比值比=1.88，95%置信区间：1.16 - 3.02，p = 0.01）、有专用垃圾桶（比值比=2.20，95%置信区间：1.42 - 3.39，p < 0.001）以及报告有满足月经卫生需求的充足设施的学生（比值比=0.60，95%置信区间：0.39 - 0.91，p = 0.017）更有可能有良好的经期卫生习惯。
总体而言，女学生在月经卫生管理方面有良好的知识和做法，误解较少。该研究强调了加强月经卫生教育、改善学校基础设施以及支持家庭健康教育对于促进青春期女孩安全有效的月经卫生习惯的重要性。需要学校、家长和政策制定者进行有针对性的干预，以营造一个支持性环境，确保所有女孩的月经健康和教育的连续性。
