Menstrual hygiene management practices among primary school girls from a pastoralist community in Kenya: a cross sectional survey
INTRODUCTION: pubescent girls from developing countries are confronted with diverse menstrual hygiene management (MHM) challenges, especially at school. Girls from rural pastoralist communities experience insurmountable MHM barriers. Inadequate coping strategies adopted result in sub-optimal school...
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| Format: | Article |
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The Pan African Medical Journal
2018-12-01
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| Series: | The Pan African Medical Journal |
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https://www.panafrican-med-journal.com/content/article/31/222/pdf/222.pdf
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| author | Eleen Korir Florence Nafula Okwara Gaudencia Okumbe |
| author_facet | Eleen Korir Florence Nafula Okwara Gaudencia Okumbe |
| author_sort | Eleen Korir |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | INTRODUCTION: pubescent girls from developing countries are confronted with diverse menstrual hygiene management (MHM) challenges, especially at school. Girls from rural pastoralist communities experience insurmountable MHM barriers. Inadequate coping strategies adopted result in sub-optimal school performance, absenteeism and physical problems. We conducted a study to assess MHM practices among primary school girls from a pastoralist community in Kenya. METHODS: a cross sectional survey was done among primary school girls in Kajiado County, Kenya. Accent was sought. We administered structured questionnaires which sought information on socio-demographics, knowledge, perceptions and practices. RESULTS: we enrolled 320 girls; with mean age of 14.9 years. Their parents were mostly (69.4%) self-employed pastoralists. Good menstruation knowledge was observed in 51.6%, while 45.5% reported diverse perceptions about menstruation. Majority, (80.9%) used sanitary towels as absorbents, but 40.3% delayed changing by 6 hours. Poor MHM practices were documented in 28.8% and 32.2% kept the issue secret. Factors associated with poor MHM practices on univariable analysis were age (p=0.016), religion (p=0.037), non-discussions (p=0.001), lack of sanitary pads (p=0.0001), lack of latrine privacy (p=0.031), lack of water (p=0.001) and teasing by boys (p=0.016). On logistic regression, factors that independently influenced MHM practices were inadequate latrine privacy (p=0.031) and fear of teasing by boys (p=0.016). CONCLUSION: a third of pubescent pastoralist girls had poor MHM practices largely determined by inadequate latrine privacy and fear of teasing by boys. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-20T00:26:06Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-f6a3667a091745718264c80c24598544 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1937-8688 1937-8688 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-20T00:26:06Z |
| publishDate | 2018-12-01 |
| publisher | The Pan African Medical Journal |
| record_format | Article |
| series | The Pan African Medical Journal |
| spelling | doaj.art-f6a3667a091745718264c80c245985442022-12-21T20:00:04ZengThe Pan African Medical JournalThe Pan African Medical Journal1937-86881937-86882018-12-013122210.11604/pamj.2018.31.222.1352113521Menstrual hygiene management practices among primary school girls from a pastoralist community in Kenya: a cross sectional surveyEleen Korir0Florence Nafula Okwara1Gaudencia Okumbe2 Department of Community Health, School of Public Health, Kenyatta University, Nairobi, Kenya Department of Paediatrics and Child Health, School of Medicine, Kenyatta University, Nairobi, Kenya Department of Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Kenyatta University, Nairobi, Kenya INTRODUCTION: pubescent girls from developing countries are confronted with diverse menstrual hygiene management (MHM) challenges, especially at school. Girls from rural pastoralist communities experience insurmountable MHM barriers. Inadequate coping strategies adopted result in sub-optimal school performance, absenteeism and physical problems. We conducted a study to assess MHM practices among primary school girls from a pastoralist community in Kenya. METHODS: a cross sectional survey was done among primary school girls in Kajiado County, Kenya. Accent was sought. We administered structured questionnaires which sought information on socio-demographics, knowledge, perceptions and practices. RESULTS: we enrolled 320 girls; with mean age of 14.9 years. Their parents were mostly (69.4%) self-employed pastoralists. Good menstruation knowledge was observed in 51.6%, while 45.5% reported diverse perceptions about menstruation. Majority, (80.9%) used sanitary towels as absorbents, but 40.3% delayed changing by 6 hours. Poor MHM practices were documented in 28.8% and 32.2% kept the issue secret. Factors associated with poor MHM practices on univariable analysis were age (p=0.016), religion (p=0.037), non-discussions (p=0.001), lack of sanitary pads (p=0.0001), lack of latrine privacy (p=0.031), lack of water (p=0.001) and teasing by boys (p=0.016). On logistic regression, factors that independently influenced MHM practices were inadequate latrine privacy (p=0.031) and fear of teasing by boys (p=0.016). CONCLUSION: a third of pubescent pastoralist girls had poor MHM practices largely determined by inadequate latrine privacy and fear of teasing by boys. https://www.panafrican-med-journal.com/content/article/31/222/pdf/222.pdf menstrual hygiene managementadolescentsrural pastoralist communities |
| spellingShingle | Eleen Korir Florence Nafula Okwara Gaudencia Okumbe Menstrual hygiene management practices among primary school girls from a pastoralist community in Kenya: a cross sectional survey The Pan African Medical Journal menstrual hygiene management adolescents rural pastoralist communities |
| title | Menstrual hygiene management practices among primary school girls from a pastoralist community in Kenya: a cross sectional survey |
| title_full | Menstrual hygiene management practices among primary school girls from a pastoralist community in Kenya: a cross sectional survey |
| title_fullStr | Menstrual hygiene management practices among primary school girls from a pastoralist community in Kenya: a cross sectional survey |
| title_full_unstemmed | Menstrual hygiene management practices among primary school girls from a pastoralist community in Kenya: a cross sectional survey |
| title_short | Menstrual hygiene management practices among primary school girls from a pastoralist community in Kenya: a cross sectional survey |
| title_sort | menstrual hygiene management practices among primary school girls from a pastoralist community in kenya a cross sectional survey |
| topic | menstrual hygiene management adolescents rural pastoralist communities |
| url |
https://www.panafrican-med-journal.com/content/article/31/222/pdf/222.pdf
|
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