International Journal of Trend in Scientific Research and Development (IJTSRD) Volume 5 Issue 6, September-October 2021 Available Online: www.ijtsrd.com e-ISSN: 2456 – 6470 @ IJTSRD | Unique Paper ID – IJTSRD47492 | Volume – 5 | Issue – 6 | Sep-Oct 2021 Page 739 A Descriptive Study to Assess the Knowledge, and Practice Regarding Menstrual Hygiene among 1st Year Nursing Students of Selected Collage of Nursing Lucknow with a View to Develop an Information Booklet Rajesh Singh 1 , Naveen Chandra Pandey 1 , Anamika Gautam 2 , Anju Singh 2 , Chandan Singh 2 , Prashant Kumar 2 , Vandana Kumari 2 1Assistant Professor, 2BSc Nursing Student, 1,2Dr. Achal Singh Yadav Institute of Nursing and Paramedical Science, Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, India ABSTRACT Menstrual hygiene refers to access to menstrual hygiene products to absorb or collect the flow of blood during menstruation, privacy to change the materials, and access to facilities to dispose of used menstrual management materials. It can also include the broader systemic factors that link menstruation with health, well-being, gender equality, education, equity, empowerment can be particularly challenging for girls and women in developing countries, where clean water and toilet facilities are often inadequate. Menstrual can be a barrier to education for many girls, as a lack of effective sanitary products restricts girl’s involvement in education and social activities. In this research a descriptive study was done to assess the knowledge and practice regarding menstrual hygiene among 1st year nursing students. The research design selected for the study was non- experimental test design. Data were collected from 40 students of nursing. Sample was selected by convenience sampling method. Result shows majority of the first year nursing students in this study belongs to the age group of 17-20years that is 31 (77.5%). The study shows the majority of the students 21(52.5%) were belongs to urban were belong to rural area. the majority of the students 24 (60%) were from joint family, 16 (40%) were from nuclear family and (0%) from broken family. 1st year nursing student’s father 35 (87.5%) having formal education, 5(12.5%). KEYWORDS: Menstruation, practice, knowledge, information booklet, professional students How to cite this paper: Rajesh Singh | Naveen Chandra Pandey | Anamika Gautam | Anju Singh | Chandan Singh | Prashant Kumar | Vandana Kumari "A Descriptive Study to Assess the Knowledge, and Practice Regarding Menstrual Hygiene among 1st Year Nursing Students of Selected Collage of Nursing Lucknow with a View to Develop an Information Booklet" Published in International Journal of Trend in Scientific Research and Development (ijtsrd), ISSN: 2456-6470, Volume-5 | Issue-6, October 2021, pp.739-744, URL: www.ijtsrd.com/papers/ijtsrd47492.pdf Copyright © 2021 by author (s) and International Journal of Trend in Scientific Research and Development Journal. This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY 4.0) (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0) In mother education majority of students’ mother have no formal educations (57.5%). 1st year the students was having previous knowledge 29(72.5%) was through family and friends. Conclusion- Majority of the nursing students had Average knowledge 67.5% on menstrual hygiene. Hence, there is a need for improving knowledge on menstrual hygiene among 1st year nursing student and inadequate Practice on menstrual hygiene 15% Good, 70% Average, 15% Bad. In this study there is no association found between knowledge and practice score with their demographic variables. INTRODUCTION Adolescence is a transitional stage of physical and psychological development that generally occurs during the period from puberty to legal adulthood 1. It is transitional phase of growth and development between childhood and adulthood. According to WHO – An adolescent as any person between age 10-19. 2 Menstruation is a milestone in a girl’s life and the beginning of reproductive life.3 The menstrual cycle is a series of natural changes in hormone production and the structures of the uterus and ovaries of the IJTSRD47492 International Journal of Trend in Scientific Research and Development @ www.ijtsrd.com eISSN: 2456-6470 @ IJTSRD | Unique Paper ID – IJTSRD47492 | Volume – 5 | Issue – 6 | Sep-Oct 2021 Page 740 female reproductive system that make pregnancy possible. The ovarian cycle controls the production and release of eggs and the cyclic release of estrogen and progesterone.4 Menstrual hygiene is vital to the empowerment and well-being of women and girls worldwide. It is about more than just access to sanitary pads and appropriate toilet through those are important. It is also about ensuring women and girls live in an environment that value and support their ability to manage their menstruation with dignity. 5 Menstrual hygiene management is defined as “women and adolescent girls using a clean menstrual management material to absorb or collect blood that can be changed in privacy as often as necessary for the duration of the menstruation period. 6 Due to lack of knowledge of menstrual hygiene adolescent girl face many physical problems such as – Infection of reproductive tract Using contaminated ways of sanitation can act like a breeding ground for bacteria including E.Coli, Salmonella, Staphylococcus etc. If your napkin or tampon isn’t clean, these germs can rapidly increase in number in your reproductive tract. They can finally enter the bloodstream from mucosal membrane, which is extremely permeable. If left unaddressed, this can result in complications like sepsis in extreme cases. Sepsis is a fatal condition. The unhealthy bacteria that lurk in your vaginal region may negatively impact the pH of the area and cause a change in the micro flora of the area. This can make your vulnerable to the risk of developing bacterial vaginosis, a common vaginal infection. Not changing sanitary napkin frequently also contributes to moisture retention and enables the growth of harmful microorganisms. Poor menstrual hygiene is intricately linked with several infection risks. According to Iris International, women who use something other than a disposable pad are more likely to suffer from genital infections or non-sexually transmitted infections. Yeast infection Candidiasis is the most common yeast infection which can occur due to poor menstrual hygiene. This infection is caused by yeast known as Candida albicans, which is considered to be an opportunistic microbe. It can cause reproductive tract infections by disrupting the balance of the good bacteria and yeast in the vagina. When you do not use breathable underwear or change the sanitary napkin frequently, you become vulnerable to these kinds of infections. This yeast grows and increases in number in moist environment and during menstruation, the vaginal area remains moist for long. That is why using clean sanitary napkins and changing them after every six hours is advisable. Urinary tract infection Urinary tract infection is considered as one of the most prevalent forms of infection in girls and women who practice poor menstrual hygiene. It can lead to serious health risks. The infections occur when harmful bacteria enter the urinary tract and irritate the mucosal region. Some of the factors considered responsible for urinary tract infection include improper washing the vaginal region from back to front, not using lukewarm water for cleaning and applying unhygienic products like absorbents for cleaning. Cervical cancer According to a study published in The Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology of India, poor menstrual hygiene is one of the main reasons of cervical cancer. It is a type of cancer that occurs in the lower part of the uterus and is caused by Human Papilloma Virus. The disease is characterized by vaginal bleeding after intercourse, pelvic pain, watery and bloody vaginal discharge, etc. Every year in India, around 122,844 women are diagnosed with cervical cancer, says a study published in the International Journal of Women’s Health.7 There are many steps for maintaining menstrual hygiene.
Change your pad every four hours to avoid infection.
Clean reusable pad properly and dry it in sun light.
Keep your vaginal area clean.
Never use two pads at the same time.
During menstrual flow wear a comfortable, clean and sun light dry inner wear.
Don’t use pads and tampons for a long time.
Dispose used pads safely and properly.
Rest and catch up on sleep.
Wash yourself regularly.
Use only one method of sanitation at a one time. Material and methods Design An exploratory design was used to assess the knowledge and practice regarding menstrual hygiene among 1st year nursing students. Sample A total of 40 nursing 1st year students selected through convenient sampling technique who met inclusion criteria. Subjects who were not willing to participate in study or with any known psychiatric illness were excluded from the study. International Journal of Trend in Scientific Research and Development @ www.ijtsrd.com eISSN: 2456-6470 @ IJTSRD | Unique Paper ID – IJTSRD47492 | Volume – 5 | Issue – 6 | Sep-Oct 2021 Page 741 Tools Various tools used to collect the data were: Self- structured questionnaire Total number of questions were 30. Data collection schedule and procedure Ethical permission Permission to conduct the study was taken from the Principal of Dr. Achal Singh Yadav Institute of Nursing and Paramedical Science Lucknow. Procedure of data collection A separate class room was allotted to the researcher for making the atmosphere conducive for interviewing the participants. Participants were fulfilling the inclusion criteria were enrolled in the study. Participants were informed about the purpose of the study, possible risks, benefits and confidentiality of their information before conducting interview. Written informed consent was obtained from the study participants. After making participants comfortable, they were interviewed by using various tools i.e. socio-demographic profile, and Self- Structured Questionnaire. Data analysis Analysis of data was done in accordance with the objectives laid down for the study using descriptive and inferential statistics in SPSS software version 20.0 , Mann-Whitney for two groups and Kruskal- Wallis for more than two groups and spearman’s correlation were used to analyze the data. Result: Findings of the study revealed that-
Majority of the 1st year nursing students in this study31 (77.5%) below to the age group of 17- 20years, followed by 9 (22.5%) of the students below to the age group of 21-30 year.
The study shows the majority of the students 21(52.5%) were belongs to urban and remaining students 19 (47.5%) were belong to rural area.
The study shows that majority of the students 24 (60%) were from joint family, 16 (40%) were from nuclear family and 0 (0%) from broken family.
Majority of the 1st year nursing student’s father 35 (87.5%) having formal education,
5(12.5%) father of the student having no formal education.
Majority of the 1st year nursing student’s mother 23(57.5%) having no formal education, 17(42.5%) mother of the student having formal education.
Majority of 1st year the students 29(72.5%) was having previous knowledge through family, 11(27.5%) was having previous knowledge through friends.
majority of the nursing students had inadequate knowledge score is Good 15%, Average 67.5%, Bad 17.5% on menstrual hygiene. Hence, there is a need for improving knowledge on menstrual hygiene among 1st year nursing student. And inadequate Practice on menstrual hygiene 15% Good, 70% Average ,15% poor. Discussion and conclusion The present study was conducted to assess knowledge and practice regarding menstrual hygiene among 1st year nursing student in a selected college of lucknow with a view to develop information booklet, following conclusions was drawn from the present study. Majority of the 1st year nursing student in this study 31(77.5%) below to the age group of 17-20 year followed by 9(22.5%) of the student below to the age group of 21-24 year. The study show majority of the student 21(52.5%) were belong to urban and remaining student 19(47.5%) were belong to rural area. The study show the majority if student 24(60%) were from joint family, 16 (40%) were from the nuclear family and 0 from broken family. Majority of 1st year nursing student father 35(87.5%) having formal education,5(12.5%) father of student having no formal education, Majority of 1st year nursing student mother 23(57.5%) having no formal education, 17(42.5%) mother of student having formal education. Majority of 1st year the students 29(72.5%) was having previous knowledge through family,11 (27.5%) was having previous knowledge through friends. Frequency and percentage distribution of socio demographic characteristics of first year nursing students N=40 S.NO DEMOGRAPHIC VARIABLE FREQUENCY (f) PERCENTAGE (%) 1 AGE 17-20yr 21-24yr 31 9 77.50% 22.50% 3 TYPE OF FAMILY Nuclear Joint broken 16 24 0 40% 60% 0% International Journal of Trend in Scientific Research and Development @ www.ijtsrd.com eISSN: 2456-6470 @ IJTSRD | Unique Paper ID – IJTSRD47492 | Volume – 5 | Issue – 6 | Sep-Oct 2021 Page 742 4 AREA OF RESIDENT Urban Rural 21 19 52.50.0% 47.50% 5 FATHER EDUCATION No-formal education Formal education 5 35 12.50% 87.50% 6 MOTHER EDUCATION No-formal education Formal education 23 17 57.50% 42.50% 7 PREVIOUS SOURCE OF INFORMATION Family Friends 29 11 72.50% 27.50% Table 2: Frequency and percentage distribution of knowledge S.NO Level of knowledge Frequency Percentage 1 Good 6 15% 2 Average 27 67.5% 3 Poor 7 17.5% The above table shows the frequency and percentage distribution of knowledge score of nursing students regarding menstrual hygiene. The table depicts that in 6 (15%) of the student had good knowledge, 27(67.5%) had Average knowledge and 7(17.5%) had poor knowledge score. Table3: This table is showing frequency and percentage distribution of practice N=40 Practice Frequency Percentage Good 11-15) 6 15% Average 28 70% Poor 6 15% This table shows that 70% of the participant had average practice regarding menstrual hygiene 15% had good practice and 15% had poor practice regarding menstrual hygiene. Table 4: Mean and standard deviation of knowledge score regarding menstrual hygiene N=40 Knowledge score Min score Max score Mean SD Knowledge score Regarding menstrual hygiene 5 12 9.025 2.096 This table shows that the mean and SD deviation of knowledge score regarding menstrual hygiene. This table reveals that the minimum score of the nursing students was 5 and maximum score was 12. Mean of knowledge score is 9.025 and standard deviation of knowledge score is 2.096. Table 5: Mean and standard deviation of practice score regarding menstrual hygiene Practice score Min score Max score Mean SD Practice score Regarding menstrual hygiene 5 12 9.05 2.166 Table 6:- This section deals with the association of knowledge score regarding menstrual hygiene with selected socio demographic variables. S. N O Demographic variable Good Average Poor Calculated value Table value df Significance level 1. Age in yr. 17-20 21-30 5 1 20 7 6 1 0.55 5.99 2 NS 2. Type of family Nuclear Joint Broken 3 3 0 9 18 0 4 3 0 1.6 9.49 4 NS 3. Type of residence Urban Rural 5 1 14 13 2 5 3.8 5.99 2 NS International Journal of Trend in Scientific Research and Development @ www.ijtsrd.com eISSN: 2456-6470 @ IJTSRD | Unique Paper ID – IJTSRD47492 | Volume – 5 | Issue – 6 | Sep-Oct 2021 Page 743 Table 7: Association of Practice score regarding menstrual hygiene with their socio-demographic variables S. NO Demographic variable Good Average Poor Calculated value Table value df Significance level 1. Age in yr. 17-20 21-30 5 1 22 6 4 2 1.054 5.99 2 NS 2. Type of family Nuclear Joint Broken 3 3 0 17 11 4 2 0.35 9.49 2 NS 3. Education status of mother No formal Formal education 4 2 16 12 3 3 1.87 5.99 6 NS 4. Education status of father No formal Formal 0 6 6 2 0 6 2.93 5.99 6 NS 5. Type of residence Urban Rural 3 3 16 12 3 3 0.14 5.99 2 NS 6. Previous source of knowledge Family Friends 3 3 20 8 5 1 1.667 5.99 4 NS Acknowledgement The authors sincerely thank all the higher secondary students and their principal for their co-operation and support for the smooth conduct of the study. 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