Assessing the link between hygienic material use during menstruation and self-reported reproductive tract infections among women in India: a propensity score matching approach
Background Reproductive tract infections (RTIs) present a substantial health concern for women, especially in developing nations such as India, where inadequate access to proper sanitation and hygiene facilities frequently results in suboptimal menstrual health and hygiene (MHH), exacerbating the ri...
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PeerJ Inc.
2023-11-01
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| Online Access: | https://peerj.com/articles/16430.pdf |
| _version_ | 1797575198277369856 |
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| author | Mahashweta Chakrabarty Aditya Singh |
| author_facet | Mahashweta Chakrabarty Aditya Singh |
| author_sort | Mahashweta Chakrabarty |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Background Reproductive tract infections (RTIs) present a substantial health concern for women, especially in developing nations such as India, where inadequate access to proper sanitation and hygiene facilities frequently results in suboptimal menstrual health and hygiene (MHH), exacerbating the risk of RTIs. In this study, we analysed the self-reported prevalence of RTIs among young women in India and evaluated the impact of hygienic menstrual material usage on these RTIs. Methods The study used information on 27,983 women aged 15–24 years, from the National Family Health Survey (NFHS-5) (2019-21). The prevalence of RTIs was calculated for all the states and UTs of India, and propensity score matching (PSM) technique was used to evaluate the impact of hygienic material use on RTIs among women in India. Results Every four out of 100 women reported RTIs in India in 2019–21. Notably, RTI prevalence displayed substantial state-level disparities. West Bengal exhibited the highest RTI prevalence at 9.3%, followed by Meghalaya, Arunachal Pradesh, and Himachal Pradesh, all surpassing 6%. In contrast, the lowest RTI rates were recorded in Puducherry at 0.9%, succeeded by Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Odisha, and Jammu & Kashmir, all registering rates below 2%. The PSM analysis revealed that women who utilized hygienic materials during menstruation exhibited a reduced prevalence of RTIs (referred to as the “treated group” with an Average Treatment Effect on the Treated (ATT) of 0.0315) compared to those who did not utilize such materials (referred to as the “control group” with an ATT of 0.0416). Conclusions The study underscores the critical significance of using hygienic materials during menstruation as a preventive measure against RTIs among women in India. The findings suggest the need for targeted interventions focused at promoting hygienic menstrual materials to reduce the prevalence of RTIs among women in India. |
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| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T21:35:11Z |
| publishDate | 2023-11-01 |
| publisher | PeerJ Inc. |
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| spelling | doaj.art-f05dfad5d4b64e3cb4ea6d789830024a2023-11-19T15:05:13ZengPeerJ Inc.PeerJ2167-83592023-11-0111e1643010.7717/peerj.16430Assessing the link between hygienic material use during menstruation and self-reported reproductive tract infections among women in India: a propensity score matching approachMahashweta Chakrabarty0Aditya Singh1Department of Geography, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, IndiaDepartment of Geography, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, IndiaBackground Reproductive tract infections (RTIs) present a substantial health concern for women, especially in developing nations such as India, where inadequate access to proper sanitation and hygiene facilities frequently results in suboptimal menstrual health and hygiene (MHH), exacerbating the risk of RTIs. In this study, we analysed the self-reported prevalence of RTIs among young women in India and evaluated the impact of hygienic menstrual material usage on these RTIs. Methods The study used information on 27,983 women aged 15–24 years, from the National Family Health Survey (NFHS-5) (2019-21). The prevalence of RTIs was calculated for all the states and UTs of India, and propensity score matching (PSM) technique was used to evaluate the impact of hygienic material use on RTIs among women in India. Results Every four out of 100 women reported RTIs in India in 2019–21. Notably, RTI prevalence displayed substantial state-level disparities. West Bengal exhibited the highest RTI prevalence at 9.3%, followed by Meghalaya, Arunachal Pradesh, and Himachal Pradesh, all surpassing 6%. In contrast, the lowest RTI rates were recorded in Puducherry at 0.9%, succeeded by Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Odisha, and Jammu & Kashmir, all registering rates below 2%. The PSM analysis revealed that women who utilized hygienic materials during menstruation exhibited a reduced prevalence of RTIs (referred to as the “treated group” with an Average Treatment Effect on the Treated (ATT) of 0.0315) compared to those who did not utilize such materials (referred to as the “control group” with an ATT of 0.0416). Conclusions The study underscores the critical significance of using hygienic materials during menstruation as a preventive measure against RTIs among women in India. The findings suggest the need for targeted interventions focused at promoting hygienic menstrual materials to reduce the prevalence of RTIs among women in India.https://peerj.com/articles/16430.pdfReproductive tract infectionsMenstrual hygiene managementHygienic materialsMenstruationAbnormal genital dischargeQuasi-experimental method |
| spellingShingle | Mahashweta Chakrabarty Aditya Singh Assessing the link between hygienic material use during menstruation and self-reported reproductive tract infections among women in India: a propensity score matching approach PeerJ Reproductive tract infections Menstrual hygiene management Hygienic materials Menstruation Abnormal genital discharge Quasi-experimental method |
| title | Assessing the link between hygienic material use during menstruation and self-reported reproductive tract infections among women in India: a propensity score matching approach |
| title_full | Assessing the link between hygienic material use during menstruation and self-reported reproductive tract infections among women in India: a propensity score matching approach |
| title_fullStr | Assessing the link between hygienic material use during menstruation and self-reported reproductive tract infections among women in India: a propensity score matching approach |
| title_full_unstemmed | Assessing the link between hygienic material use during menstruation and self-reported reproductive tract infections among women in India: a propensity score matching approach |
| title_short | Assessing the link between hygienic material use during menstruation and self-reported reproductive tract infections among women in India: a propensity score matching approach |
| title_sort | assessing the link between hygienic material use during menstruation and self reported reproductive tract infections among women in india a propensity score matching approach |
| topic | Reproductive tract infections Menstrual hygiene management Hygienic materials Menstruation Abnormal genital discharge Quasi-experimental method |
| url | https://peerj.com/articles/16430.pdf |
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