A brief instrument measuring the water, sanitation and hygiene domain of menstrual health among women who inject drugs.

Autor: Alhelí Calderón-Villarreal, Lourdes Johanna Avelar Portillo, Daniela Abramovitz, Shira Goldenberg, Shawn Flanigan, Penelope J E Quintana, Alicia Harvey-Vera, Carlos F Vera, Gudelia Rangel, Steffanie A Strathdee, Georgia L Kayser
Jazyk: angličtina
Rok vydání: 2024
Předmět:
Zdroj: PLoS ONE, Vol 19, Iss 5, p e0303378 (2024)
Druh dokumentu: article
ISSN: 1932-6203
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0303378&type=printable
Popis: BackgroundDomains of adequate menstrual health (MH) include access to water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH). People who menstruate with social disadvantages-such as homelessness or drug injection practices-often face barriers to WASH access. However, validated instruments to measure MH are limited among marginalized populations, and available instruments involve lengthy surveys. We developed and evaluated psychometric properties of a novel 'MH WASH Domain Scale-12' among people who menstruate and who inject drugs in the Tijuana-San Diego region and identified correlates of MH access using this scale.MethodsWe constructed a MH-scale based on access to twelve WASH-related items: (1) menstrual products, (2) body hygiene (bathing per week), (3) water sources for bathing, (4) improved, (5) non-shared, (6) available, (7) private, (8) nearby, (9) and safe sanitation facilities, (10) availability of soap, (11) water source for handwashing, and (12) handwashing facilities with soap/water. Variables were dichotomized and summed, with scores ranging from 0-12 points and higher scores indicating better MH access. We assessed the scale's reliability and construct and content validity using data from a binational cross-sectional study. The sample included people who inject drugs (PWID) who had ever menstruated in their lifetime and were 18+ during 2020-2021. MH-WASH items were described, and the scale was further used as an outcome variable to identify correlates.ResultsAmong 125 (124 cis-female and 1 trans-male) PWID that reported menstruating, our 'MH WASH Domain Scale-12' was reliable (Cronbach's alpha = 0.81, McDonald's Omega total = 0.83) and valid. We identified two sub-domains: Factor-1 included items describing 'WASH availability' and Factor-2 contained items related to 'WASH security'-encompassing physical and biological safety. Scale scores were significantly lower among participants experiencing unsheltered homelessness compared to participants experiencing sheltered homelessness or living in permanent housing.ConclusionWe constructed and validated a novel and reliable scale to measure MH-related WASH access that can be used to assess MH among marginalized populations in English- and Spanish-speaking contexts. Using this scale we identified disparities in MH-WASH access among PWID and who menstruate in the US-Mexico border region.
Databáze: Directory of Open Access Journals
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