ASSESSING MENSTRUAL HYGIENE PRACTICES AND ASSOCIATED FACTORS AMONG GIRLS ATTENDING PUBLIC SECONDARY SCHOOLS IN SOUTHWESTERN NIGERIA

Abstract

Background: Menstrual hygiene is the practise of using clean materials that can be changed privately, safely, and hygienically to absorb menstrual blood for the duration of bleeding. Good hygiene practises are essential during menstruation to help prevent infections in women and girls. This study aimed at assessing the knowledge of menstrual hygiene among girls in public secondary schools, exploring their menstrual hygiene practises, and identifying major sources of information on menstruation and menstrual hygiene.

Methodology: A mixed-methods research study was employed, comprising quantitative and qualitative methods, involving 928 in-school adolescent girls in state public senior secondary schools (SS1 to SS3) aged between 10 and 19 years. A multistage sampling technique was employed in selecting participants. Quantitative and qualitative data were collected using a pretested self-administered questionnaire and focus group discussions, respectively.

Results: The majority of the respondents, between the ages of 14 and 16 years (62%), were Yoruba (64.1%) and practised Christianity (67.1%), with 83.4% of fathers and 79.7% of mothers having secondary education or higher. Over half of the respondents (55.4%) had poor knowledge of menstruation, while 73 (7.6%) had good knowledge, with the majority of the students (89.5%) obtaining information about menstruation from their mothers or a mother figure. 89.8% of the respondents used sanitary pads, while 73% preferred to take them home for disposal. Factors associated with good knowledge of menstrual hygiene are the class of the respondent, fathers' education, and mothers' education.

Conclusion: The study revealed a high number of the students had poor knowledge of menstruation. There is the need to provide interventions targeted at equipping them with the right information. However, the study reported good menstrual hygiene practises among the students, with the majority revealing they used disposable sanitary pads during menstruation.