Study of menstrual problems among the adolescence girls of rural area of Aligarh.

ABSTRACT

Introduction: Menstrual practices are still bounded by social restrictions and taboos. This may result in ignorance of hygienic practices during menstruation. So there should be proper knowledge given to the girls since childhood. The present study was conducted in rural areas of Aligarh. It was conducted in 70 adolescent girls before taking verbal consent from them. The aim of the study was to find menstrual pattern among the rural adolescent girls, the various menstrual problems among them and the effect of this problem on their daily routine. Material and Methods: A cross sectional study was conducted among girls of age group 13 to 19 years attending the rural health training centre of Department of Community Medicine, J.N. Medical College, Aligarh. Seventy girls who had given verbal consent were interviewed. Data was collected by personal interview and semi structure questionnaires. Data was analyzed using SPSS software. 35.7% were in 13-15 years age group, 21.4% were in 15- 17 years age group and 42.9% were in 17-19 years age group. Regarding problems related to menstrual cycle, dysmenorrhea (71.4%) was the commonest problem. Other then this, girls had pre-menstrual syndrome (57.14%), backache (50%), fatigue (42.8%), breast heaviness ( 28.5%), joint pain (21.4%), increased weight (28.5%), headache( 28.5%) and abdominal bloating (50%). The menstrual problems affected their daily routine. Around 71.4% of the subject were forced to have prolonged bed rest, 64.28% had missed social activities. 50% of them had disturbed sleep, 35.7% had decreased appetite, 42.8% had missed classes, 50% who were employed had to abstain from their work. Conclusion: Menstruation problems usually cause interruption of daily routine of adolescent girls. School health programme should include provision for screening of adolescent girl for menstruation related problem and providing them with relevant information. Clearing up the misconception relating to menstruation and offering possible treatment options should be done. This may help in improving school and academic performance of students.