ABSTRACT
Background: Adolescent girls constitute a vulnerable group, particularly in India where female child is neglected one. Menstruation is still regarded as something unclean or dirty in Indian society. Although menstruation is a natural process, it is linked with several misconceptions and practices, which sometimes result into adverse health outcomes. Women having better knowledge regarding menstrual hygiene and safe practices are less vulnerable to reproductive tract infections and its consequences. The objective of the present study is to determine the factors affecting the existing practices of menstrual hygiene among the adolescent girls and to study the beliefs, conception and source of information regarding menstruation among the study population.Methods: A pre-tested semi-structured schedule containing information like socio-demographic factors, perceptions about menstruation, practice of menstrual hygiene, restrictions practiced during menstruation was administered to 200 adolescent girls by paying house to house visits. The data was entered in Microsoft Excel and analysed using Epi Info software version 7.2.3.Results: : Nearly three-fourths of the adolescent girls attained menarche before the age of 14 years and 87% had no knowledge about it prior to attaining menarche. Majority (86%) respondents use sanitary pads, while only 14 (7%) use new cloth pieces, 6 (3%) use reused cloth pieces. Except for attending school, many restrictions were imposed on them during menstruation including participation in religious activities, festivals, attending household chores, food restrictions, etc.Conclusions: Various cultural practices and ignorance are affecting the menstrual hygiene of the adolescent girls and they need to be educated in this regard.
ABSTRACT
Background: Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) today represents one of the world’s largest programmes for early childhood development. The Anganwadi workers and Anganwadi Helpers are the grass root level functionaries responsible for delivery of services.Methods: A field based cross sectional observational study was conducted in Mangalagiri rural ICDS project to assess the knowledge levels and the socio-demographic profile of the Anganwadi workers, all the Anganwadi workers who are working in Mangalagiri rural ICDS project area have been included in the study.Results: Out of 212 AWWs, majority of AWWs were from the age group of between 30-49 years; 123 (58%) AWWs have education qualification from 6th class to 10th class standard and 135 (63.7%) workers had an experience of more than 10 years. About 142 (67%) AWWs had a good knowledge assessment score. They had best knowledge about immunization (96.7%), referral services (93.4%), growth monitoring (82.5%), health check-ups (75.1%) and nutrition and health education (70%). AWWs complained problems like infrastructure related, excessive work overload and record maintenance.Conclusions: The majority of the AWWs are in the age group of 30 to 49 years. More than half of them belong to lower middle socio-economic class. Maximum number of workers has experience of 10 years or more. All the AWWs in our study had 50% and above knowledge about Anganwadi services. Best knowledge is seen regarding immunization followed by referral services. Least knowledge is seen regarding supplementary nutrition. Major problems reported were excess work and record maintenance.