International Journal of Community Medicine and Public Health

Kumari S et al. Int J Community Med Public Health. 2018 Sep;5(9):3987-3990

http://www.ijcmph.com pISSN 2394-6032 | eISSN 2394-6040

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.18203/2394-6040.ijcmph20183583
Original Research Article

Menstrual hygiene: knowledge and practice among adolescent

girls in orphanage
Savita Kumari, Poonam Sheoran*, Adiba Siddiqui

OBG Nursing Department, M.M. College of Nursing, Mullana, Haryana, India

Received: 07 June 2018

Revised: 11 July 2018
Accepted: 13 July 2018

*Correspondence:
Dr. Poonam Sheoran,
E-mail: [email protected]

Copyright: © the author(s), publisher and licensee Medip Academy. This is an open-access article distributed under
the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial License, which permits unrestricted non-commercial
use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

ABSTRACT

Background: In India menstruation is generally considered as unclean. Orphanage girls are vulnerable group in our
society. The unfailing support and a constant check of orphan girls during menstruation are usually absent. The
objective of the study was to assess the knowledge and practices regarding menstrual hygiene among adolescent girls
residing in selected orphanages of Haryana.
Methods: A descriptive survey was conducted on 150 adolescent girls residing in selected orphanages of Haryana.
Purposive sampling technique was used to select the adolescent girls for study. The data was obtained by structured
knowledge questionnaire and structured practice questionnaire.
Results: SPSS version 20 was used for statistical analysis. The result of the study indicated that more than half of
adolescent girls (62.7%) were in age group of 12-15 year. Half (50.7%) of adolescent girls had age of menarche at 12
year. Only 16% adolescent girls had good knowledge regarding menstrual hygiene. 95.3% were using sanitary pad
during menstruation.
Conclusions: The present study concluded that adolescent girls had poor knowledge of menstruation and menstrual
hygiene.

Keywords: Menstrual hygiene, Knowledge, Practice, Orphanage, Adolescent girls

INTRODUCTION In India there are over 355 million menstruating women

and girls but millions of girls across the country still
Adolescence proves to be the most vulnerable stage in the facing significant problems to a comfortable and
way of human life cycle after childhood, characterized by dignified experience with menstrual hygiene
accelerated growth and development with a change from management.3
childhood to maturity.1 The adolescent word is taken
from Latin word ‘adolescence’ which means to grow into In India about 88% of women use homemade products
maturity.1 (e.g., old cloth or rags) during their menstrual period. The
main reasons for using cloth-based product are: personal
For girls, menstruation is a physiological process which preference and familiarity, lack of approach to or
unprecedented to women that begins in puberty. It is affordability for good-quality commercial sanitary pads,
periodic discharge of blood and mucosal tissue from the and lack of adequate information about pads. Some girls
uterus for 4-5 days (average) occur regularly every 28-30 also use locally made cotton cloth. The reproductive tract
days of cycle.2 infection (RTI) incidence was 70 percent more common

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 Kumari S et al. Int J Community Med Public Health. 2018 Sep;5(9):3987-3990

among women and girls if they do not follow hygienic girls 125 (83.3%) had discomfort during menstruation.
sanitary practices during menstruation.4 Nearly three fourth (75.3%) adolescent girls had
information regarding menstrual hygiene. Less than three
An orphanage is a residential institution or place faithful fourth of (70.7%) adolescent girls reported that sanitary
to the care of orphans-offspring whose biological parents facilities are present in orphanages. One third of (34%)
are dead or otherwise not capable or unenthusiastic to adolescent girls reported that waste management facility
take care of them.5 not available in orphanage.

Orphanage girls are vulnerable group in our society. Table 1: Frequency and percentage distribution of
Adolescent girls at the age of menarche usually seek adolescent girls according to level of knowledge
information either from mother or elder sister. Due to regarding menstrual hygiene (N=150).
unavailability of health counselor, the adolescent girls
have no information about menstruation and menstrual Level of
Range of score No (f) %
hygiene. knowledge
Very good 27-34 00 00
With this background study was carried out to evaluate Good 21-26 24 16
the knowledge and practices regarding menstrual hygiene Average 17-20 25 16.7
among adolescent girls residing in selected orphanage of Below average 0-16 101 67.3
Haryana.
Table 1 showed the level of knowledge on menstrual
METHODS hygiene among adolescent girls. Majority of adolescent
girls (67.3%) had below average knowledge regarding
Study design, setting, period and participants menstrual hygiene, and only 16% adolescent girls had
good knowledge regarding menstrual hygiene.
This is a descriptive survey done during September 2017
to December 2017. Total 150 adolescent girls selected by
purposive sampling technique from selected 7 orphanages cloth
in 5 districts of Haryana. (4.70%)

Inclusion criteria

Adolescent girls those who had attained menarche and

willing to participate included in the study. sanitary
pad
(95.30%)
Exclusion criteria

Adolescent girls those who were mentally challenged and Figure 1: Distribution of adolescent girls as per
not able to read and write Hindi excluded from the study. material used during menstruation.

Questionnaire Figure 1 depict that majority of the adolescent girls in

selected orphanages 143 (95.3%) were using sanitary pad
Structured knowledge and practice questionnaires were during menstruation. More than half (50.7%) of
used for data collection. adolescent girls dry the cloth in sunlight exposure, 25.3%
dry it in girls bathroom and 26 (17.3%) hidden inside
The reliability co-efficient for the structured knowledge (under bed).
questionnaire was calculated by using Kuder Richardson
(0.68) and reliability of the structured practices
questionnaire was calculated by test-retest (0.76) it was 67%
70% water
Percentage of adolescent

found reliable.
60%
soap &water
RESULTS 50%
40% soap & hot
girls

water
Sample characteristics 30% 15% hot water
13%
20%
4%
Data were analyzed using SPSS-20. More than half 10%
(62.7%) of adolescent girls were in the age group of 12- 0%
15 years. Less than half (44.7%) adolescent girls were Modes of cleaning of menstruated cloth
having education status between 6th-8th standard. Half
(50.7%) of adolescent girls had age of menarche at 12
year. Majority of the adolescent girls 112 (74.7%) Figure 2: Distribution of adolescent girls as per modes
belonged to Hindu religion. Majority of the adolescent of cleaning of menstruated cloth.

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 Kumari S et al. Int J Community Med Public Health. 2018 Sep;5(9):3987-3990

It was found that more than one third of (38.7%) where Hindu religion is prominent. These findings were
adolescent girls changed pad/cloth more than three times consistent with the study conducted by Rokade et al
in a day, (35.3%) did change thrice a day, 14.7% did which showed that more than half (67.5%) of the girls
change twice a day and 11.3% did once a day. Figure 2 belonged to Hindu religion.9
showed that more than half (67.1%) adolescent girls
washed soiled cloths with water only, 10 (14.9%) with In the present study found that nearly three fourth
soap and water, 13.43% soap and hot water and 4.47% (75.3%) adolescent girls had information regarding
hot water only. menstrual hygiene. The main source of information about
menstrual hygiene was care taker for 45 (39.8%) girls.
These findings were consistent with the study conducted
Drain Open field by Pradesh et al in which 69% adolescent girls had
10%
7% information regarding menstrual hygiene.10 Whereas in
contrast to these findings with the study conducted by
Toilet
7% Ibrahim et al in which only 52% adolescent girls had
information regarding menstrual hygiene.11
Dustbin
76% In current study found that more than half of adolescent
girls (67.3%) had knowledge level below average, 16%
adolescent girls had knowledge level good because they
not getting proper information from counselor or their
care taker. These findings were consistent with the study
conducted by Vandana et al in which half of the
Figure 3: Distribution of adolescent girls as per modes
adolescent girls 50.5% had knowledge level below
of disposal of material used during menstruation.
average, 19% adolescent girls had knowledge level good
regarding menstrual hygiene.12
Figure 3 depict that more than third fourth girls (76%)
disposed the pad in dustbin, followed by open field 10%,
In the present study most (95.3%) of adolescent girls used
in drain 7.30% and in toilet 6.7%
sanitary napkin during menstruation. These findings were
inconsistent with the study conducted by Sudeshna et al
Less than half 68 (45.30%) adolescent girls did not go to
in which only 13.24% adolescent girls used sanitary
school during menstruation. It was found that half of the
napkin during menstruation.13 These findings were
girls (50%) girls changed their undergarments daily and
inconsistent with another study conducted by Anuradha
26 (17.30%) girls changed undergarments only after
et al in which only 11.25% adolescent girls used sanitary
soiling during menstruation. Majority of the girls 148
napkins during menstruation.14 In current setting pads
(98.80%) faced problems during menstruation in which
were made available by counselor. It was observed that
50 (33.3%) adolescent girls faced religious limitation, 40
50.76% adolescent girls dry the sanitary cloth in sunlight
(26.7%) girls faced problem related to disposal, 28
exposure. These findings were inconsistent with the study
(18.7%) faced problem related to availability of sanitary
conducted by Pradesh et al in which 61.60% adolescent
pad and 31 (20.7%) girls faced other problems such as
girls dried the sanitary cloth in sunlight exposure.10 In the
dietary restrictions, personal hygiene like hair wash
present study more than one third of (38.7%) adolescent
related problems.
girls changed pad/cloth more than three times in a day,
followed by thrice a day 53 (35.3%), twice a day 22
DISCUSSION (14.7%) and once a day 17 (11.3%) because easy
availability of the pads. These findings were inconsistent
In the present study, (62.7%) adolescent girls were with the study conducted by Pandit et al in which 5.5%
between the age group of 12-15 years as this is the adolescent girls changed pad/cloth more than three in a
normal menarcheal age. These findings were concordance day.7
with the study conducted by Hossain et al in which 63%
adolescent girls were in the age group of 12-15 years.6
CONCLUSION
These findings were similar with the study conducted by
Pandit et al in which 88.5% adolescent girls were in the
The study was conducted to assess the knowledge and
age group of 12-15 years.7
practices of adolescent girls who residing in orphanages
by using structured knowledge and practices
It was observed that half (50.7%) of the adolescent girls questionnaire. Based on the results of the present study, it
had age of menarche at 12 year. These findings were was concluded that the knowledge of menstruation and
similar with the study conducted by Debnath et al in
menstrual hygiene among adolescent girls was poor.
which (50.4%) girls had age of menarche at 12.06 yrs.8 Almost all girls used sanitary napkins during menstrual
period.
It was found that (74.7%) adolescent girls belonged to
Hindu religion because current setting is in northern part

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 Kumari S et al. Int J Community Med Public Health. 2018 Sep;5(9):3987-3990

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS 7. Pandit D, Kumar Bhattacharyya P, Bhattacharya R.

Menstrual Hygiene: Knowledge and Practice among
I express my sincere gratitude to the all the adolescent Adolescent School Girls In rural areas of West
girls for their whole hearted participation and cooperation Bengal. IOSR J Dent Med Sci Ver III.
in the study. I express my sincere thanks and deepest 2014;13(6):2279–861.
sense of gratitude to Dr. Poonam Sheoran and Mrs. Adiba 8. Debnath M, Sarkar J. Pre Menarcheal Knowledge
Siddiqui for their valuable suggestions. and Some Socio- Behavioral Variables: A
Community Based Comparative Study on Bengali
Funding: No funding sources Women. IOSR J Dent Med Sci. 2017;16(1):26–31.
Conflict of interest: None declared 9. Rokade HG, Kumavat AP, Gorakh Rokade H. Study
Ethical approval: The study was approved by the of Menstrual Pattern And Menstrual Hygiene
Institutional Ethics Committee of MM University, Practices Among Adolescent Girls. Natl J
Mullana, Ambala, Haryana Community Med. 2016;7(5):398-403.
10. Pradesh U, Shukla MK, Priya N, Srivastava A. A
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