Sreeja Sangaraju, Garikapati Kavitha, Sharmila Vijayan, Marimuthu Yamini
All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Mangalagiri, Guntur District, Andhra Pradesh, India.
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Mangalagiri, Andhra Pradesh, India.
J Educ Health Promot. 2025 Apr 30;14:163. doi: 10.4103/jehp.jehp_558_24. eCollection 2025.
Menstruation is a natural process marking the onset of reproductive years in women. However, managing menstrual hygiene remains challenging in resource-constrained settings due to limited knowledge, cultural beliefs, and inadequate infrastructure. This study aims to assess menstrual hygiene practices among teens and reproductive age group women to identify gaps and inform targeted awareness programs.
This cross-sectional study, conducted following approval from the institutional ethics committee and after participants provided written informed consent, employed a validated Menstrual Practice Needs Scale (MPNS-36). Participants utilized this scale, comprising 36 self-reported items, to evaluate their menstrual experiences and hygiene practices.
Most participants (87.8%) used sanitary pads, and 76.83% disposed of menstrual materials in dustbins. The main difficulty reported by most participants (62.8%) was the limitation on physical activity during menstruation. Additionally, 61.6% spent less than Rs. 100 per month on menstrual products, and 77.5% expressed satisfaction with their current hygiene materials. Significant statistical correlations were observed between higher MPNS-36 scores and younger age (<20 years), unmarried marital status, and higher education levels (graduation), with values below 0.05.
Younger, unmarried, and educated women demonstrated better menstrual hygiene practices, emphasizing the need for targeted interventions to improve practices among other demographic groups.
月经是标志女性进入生育年龄的自然过程。然而，由于知识有限、文化观念和基础设施不足，在资源有限的环境中管理经期卫生仍然具有挑战性。本研究旨在评估青少年和育龄妇女的经期卫生习惯，以找出差距并为有针对性的宣传项目提供信息。
本横断面研究在获得机构伦理委员会批准并获得参与者书面知情同意后进行，采用了经过验证的经期实践需求量表（MPNS - 36）。参与者使用该量表（包括36个自我报告项目）来评估她们的月经经历和卫生习惯。
大多数参与者（87.8%）使用卫生巾，76.83%的人将月经用品丢弃在垃圾桶中。大多数参与者（62.8%）报告的主要困难是月经期间身体活动受限。此外，61.6%的人每月在月经用品上花费不到100卢比，77.5%的人对她们目前的卫生用品表示满意。MPNS - 36得分较高与年龄较小（<20岁）、未婚婚姻状况和较高教育水平（毕业）之间存在显著的统计学相关性，P值低于0.05。
年轻、未婚和受过教育的女性表现出更好的经期卫生习惯，强调需要有针对性的干预措施来改善其他人口群体的卫生习惯。
