ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Adolescent girls face numerous challenges which hinder their ability to manage menstruation in a healthy and dignified manner. OBJECTIVES: To examine the menstrual hygiene practices of adolescent girls schooling in rural Anambra communities. STUDY DESIGN: Cross-sectional descriptive study. METHOD: Participants were selected using multistage stratified random sampling technique and interviewed using self-administered semi-structured questionnaire. Data were analysed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences version 22.0. RESULTS: Mean age of all, pre-menarche and post-menarche girls were 14.7 ± 1.84, 12.8 ± 1.09 and 15.1 ± 1.73 years, respectively. About 46% of the pre-menarche girls had not received any information on menstruation. Common sources of initial menstruation information were mother (87.3%), school (52.2%) and peers (20.0%). Among the 1091 (85.0% (1091/1283)) post-menarche girls, last menstrual period, last menstrual period duration and cycle length could not be recalled by 53.9%, 34.4% and 39.3%, respectively. Majority (98.3%) who could recall last menstrual period had a cycle length of ⩽30 days and the mean duration of menses was 4.4 ± 0.84 days. Disposable sanitary pad was mostly (60%) cited as recommended product, but cloth/rags (40.6%) or tissue paper (32. 3%) were predominantly used. Majority (88.6%) took their bath ⩾twice/day, 50.9% changed sanitary product ⩽twice/day while 72.5% exhibited poor hand washing. Sanitary products were mostly discarded by burning (45.4%). Fifty-one percent could not change in school predominantly due to lack of functional toilets/changing rooms (84.2%) while 72.5% of those who changed did so in bushes or unused spaces. Challenges faced during menstruation include restriction from holy places (38.9%), waist pain (74.9%), blood stains (36.1%) and lack of money to buy pad (27.0%). Factors significantly associated with using commercial pads were age (p = 0.047), class (p = 0.006), mother's educational status (p < 0.001), social class (p < 0.001), ability to recall last menstrual period date (p = 0.029) or duration (p = 0.001). CONCLUSION: Menstrual hygiene management was unsatisfactory among studied adolescents. Continuous education of adolescent girls on menstrual hygiene management and advocacy for adequate menstrual hygiene management support are imperative.
Subject(s)
Hygiene , Menstruation , Female , Adolescent , Humans , Cross-Sectional Studies , Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice , SchoolsABSTRACT
Background: Healthcare workers were at the forefront of the COVID-19 pandemic. The acceptability and uptake of COVID-19 vaccines among healthcare workers was an important strategy in halting the spread of the virus as well as the antecedent implications on global health and the world economy. Objectives: This study aims to determine the acceptability rate and barriers to COVID-19 vaccination of frontline healthcare workers in Awka, Nigeria. Design: This is an analytical cross-sectional study. Methods: An online cross-sectional survey was conducted from February 2022 to April 2022 to obtain the data for this study. One hundred healthcare workers were studied. Acceptability rate and barriers to uptake of COVID-19 vaccination were outcome measures. Results: The COVID-19 vaccination rate was 45.0% among healthcare workers in study area of Awka metropolis. Ages 30-39 years had the highest acceptance rate of COVID-19 vaccination, 19 (47.5%; p = 0.262) with a more female preponderance of COVID-19 vaccine acceptance compared to males [26 (41.3%) vs 16 (42.2%), p = 0.721]. The place of residence of respondents (urban vs rural) and their marital status (married vs single) appeared not to influence the acceptance of COVID-19 vaccination [(38 (42.2%) vs 3 (33.3%); p = 0.667; 25 (36.8% vs 17 (54.8%); p = 0.433)]. Years of work experience (<10 years vs >10 years) significantly affected COVID-19 vaccine acceptance [27 (45.8%) vs 12 (52.2%); p = 0.029]. Educational status and monthly income appeared not to influence vaccine uptake (p > 0.05, for both). A significant number of respondents were not sure why they should or should not take the COVID-19 vaccine [49 (92.5%) vs 35 (83.3%); p = 0.001]. Conclusion: The COVID-19 vaccination rate is still poor among healthcare workers in Awka metropolis. The majority of respondents do not know why they should or should not take COVID-19 vaccine. We therefore recommend robust awareness campaigns that will explain in clear terms the essence and efficacy of COVID-19 vaccination in order to improve vaccine acceptance.
