National Journal of Community Medicine (Dec 2015)
Menstrual Patterns Among School Going Adolescent Girls in Chandigarh and Rural Areas Of Himachal Pradesh, North India
Abstract
Background: Menstrual disorders are common among adolescent girls and they are lacking scientific knowledge regarding menstrua- tion and puberty making them more vulnerable. This study was con- ducted to determine patterns of menstrual cycles among young girls and menstrual problems. Material and Methods: Cross–sectional survey was conducted among adolescent school going girls in four schools: two in Chandi- garh and two in Himachal Pradesh (Districts Mandi and Hamirpur) selected by stratified multi-stage random sampling design.. Only those respondents whose parents gave consent and they were also willing to take part in the study were included. Information was col- lected on socio-demographic characteristics and menstruation related information. Results: About 80% girls who attained menarche had prior informa- tion regarding menstruation and among them 45(51.1%) reported mother as main source of information.. There were 77(69.3%) girls having problems/ complaints related with menstruation. Excessive flow during menstruation was reported by 17(15.3%) girls. There were 22 (19.8%) girls having reportedly irregular periods. Only 19(24.7%) girls reporting menstrual problems approached some- where for problems related with menstruation. Conclusions: Present study concludes that menstrual problems are highly prevalent among girls in the studied population and they have lot of misconceptions regarding menstruation.
