Date of Award

11-26-2021

Degree Type

Thesis

Degree Name

MS in Epidemiology & Biostatistics

First Advisor

Dr Sarah Saleem

Second Advisor

Dr Shafquat Rozi

Third Advisor

Dr Shiyam Sunder

Department

Community Health Sciences

Abstract

Background: Menstrual hygiene management alludes to the hygiene and health necessities of girls and women during the monthly cycle, including the information, materials and facilities expected to manage menstruation successfully and privately. Worldwide, menstrual hygiene instability adds to school absenteeism among millions of young girls and raise the probability of school dropout. In rural Pakistan, 22% of adolescent girls refrain from going to schools during menstruation.
Aim: The aim of the study was to determine the association of menstrual hygiene management with school absenteeism and the factors associated with menstrual hygiene management at school and school absenteeism
Methodology: The study was a cross sectional survey conducted among adolescent girls in schools of rural areas of district Sujawal. Three hundred (n=300) adolescent schoolgirls who had experienced menarche were selected as study participants. Data were collected through a survey questionnaire adapted from Bangladesh National hygiene survey, which included information on socio-demographics, menarche experiences, provision of facilities at schools for menstrual hygiene management, school absenteeism and its reasons. We used Cox proportional hazard model analysis to estimate prevalence for the factors associated with menstrual hygiene management at school and school absenteeism using Stata version 16.
Results: Overall 86% of adolescent schoolgirls had insufficient or inappropriate menstrual hygiene management support at the schools they went. School absenteeism during menstruation was reported by 55.3% of adolescent schoolgirls. This number increased to 94.5% of adolescent schoolgirls who remained absent during menstruation in schools where proper support for menstrual hygiene management was not provided. Our multivariable logistic model shows that adolescent schoolgirls who reported prevalence of essential facilities for menstrual hygiene management at school were 3.02 times (95% C. I=1.54 – 5.93) more likely to be absent from school during menstruation adjusted for current class or grade. Furthermore, prevalence of school absenteeism was 30 percent lower (PR=0.70 95% C. I=0.52-0.96) in older school student (class grade 9-12) adjusted for essential facilities for menstrual hygiene management at school.
Conclusion: Most adolescent schoolgirls lack appropriate menstrual hygiene management support at schools they attend. More than half of the adolescent girls mentioned skipping school during menstruation. The Inappropriate menstrual hygiene facilities at school and younger age of students were statistically significant with school absenteeism in our sample. It is appalling to learn that nearly all the schools in our sample were not able to provide sufficient support for young students to manage menstrual hygiene appropriately at schools.
Recommendation: Clean latrine with privacy, water for cleaning, and availability of soap are essential requirement for proper menstrual hygiene. These should be available at all schools.

First Page

1

Last Page

88

Download

Share

COinS