A rite of passage: a mixed methodology study about knowledge, perceptions and practices of menstrual hygiene management in rural Gambia
| Autor: | Belen Torondel, Omar Keita, Vishna Shah, Ebrima Comma, Fatou Sosseh, Yamundao Jallow, Helen M. Nabwera |
|---|---|
| Jazyk: | angličtina |
| Rok vydání: | 2019 |
| Předmět: |
Rural Population
Health Knowledge Attitudes Practice medicine.medical_specialty wa_4 Adolescent Preparedness media_common.quotation_subject Mothers Embarrassment 030209 endocrinology & metabolism wa_395 Developmental psychology Menstruation Young Adult 03 medical and health sciences Menstrual hygiene practices 0302 clinical medicine 5. Gender equality Taboo Humans Medicine 030212 general & internal medicine Child media_common business.industry 4. Education Knowledge level Public health lcsh:Public aspects of medicine Public Health Environmental and Occupational Health Hygiene wp_400 lcsh:RA1-1270 wp_100 Focus Groups Focus group Knowledge Menarche Female Gambia Perception wa_309 School Teachers Rural area wa_18 business Research Article |
| Zdroj: | BMC Public Health, Vol 19, Iss 1, Pp 1-15 (2019) BMC Public Health |
| ISSN: | 1471-2458 |
| Popis: | Background Appropriate menstrual hygiene management (MHM) is impeded by taboos and secrecy surrounding menstruation. Unhygienic menstrual practices and unpreparedness for managing menstruation has been associated with adverse health and social outcomes among adolescent girls. In The Gambia, there is limited data on menstrual practices among girls and women in rural communities and the sources of information about menstruation for the adolescents. This study aimed to explore knowledge, preparedness and practices of menstruation and its management among adolescents, mothers and teachers in rural Gambia. Methods A mixed methods study was conducted in the rural Kiang West district of The Gambia. Twenty focus group discussions and thirteen in-depth interviews were conducted among mothers, adolescents and teachers to explore their views on menstruation, cultural beliefs, sources and level of knowledge on menstruation and MHM practices. In addition, a survey was done among 331 school girls to assess their knowledge, practices and attitudes of menstruation and its management. Inductive content analysis was used to analyse the qualitative data, and descriptive analysis and chi-squared tests were used to analyse quantitative data. Results All participants had different levels of knowledge about menstruation. Knowledge score was higher among post-menarche girls compare with pre-menarche girls (p = 0.0001). All groups expressed difficulties, embarrassment and shame in relation to discussing menstruation. Two thirds of the surveyed girls reported having learnt about menstruation before menarche, however at menarche most felt unprepared. Teachers were the main source of information, but when asking for advice most girls preferred to ask their mothers. Mothers reported facing difficulties in discussing menstruation with their children and felt that boys did not need to be taught about it, however boys were very curious to know about. Most girls used reusable cloth unless they are given free pads from school. Conclusion Taboos, secrecy and embarrassment associated with discussing menstruation hinder adolescents from seeking advice from parents and teachers on appropriate MHM practices. Strategies to encourage positive social norms towards menstruation would help to promote more open discussions about it at the family, community and national level, which will support improvements in MHM in this and similar communities in low and middle income settings. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s12889-019-6599-2) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users. |
| Databáze: | OpenAIRE |
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