INTRODUCTION:

The onset of menstruation is a visible event marked by sequence of changes, occurs during adolescence is a valid indicator of sexual development. Menarche is the end result of the sequence of events that precede the onset that is attainment of peak height and peak weight velocity.

Factors related to Menarche:

Various factors have been postulated to affect the age at menarche are the socioeconomic status diet, exercise, environment, religion, genetic, hereditary factors, psychological stress and chronic illness (Sera petal. 2009). The study by ICMR reveals the decline in age at menarche with increase in percapita income of the family. The most significant factor affecting the age of puberty on set is ‘Nutrition’ and the single best predictor of the onset of a girl’s first period is her weight. Merzenich et al. (1993) noted that increased sport activity is associated with delay in age at menarche.

Menstrual Problems and Supplements:

The girls experience different problems during menstruation like pain in abdomen, backache, dizziness, head ache and pain in legs. Because of these problems majority of the girls experience physical and psychological problems during menstruation. Commonly to alleviate menstrual pain some of the girls often take pain killers and some girls prefer fruit juices, buttermilk and fenugreek. When the girls prefer natural foods to alleviate menstrual pain those food item won’t create any side effects. Common special foods given at the time of menarche in Tamil Nadu are Sweets, Raw egg, Ulundhukali, Gingelly oil and Pongal. Santosh Jain Passi et al., (2005) stated that these girls need special care in view of their role in shaping the health and wellbeing of the present as well as future generations and found that with the onset of menarche and in the absence of adequate dietary intake, adolescent girls become highly susceptible to anemia.

Menstrual Management:

Age, Culture, Awareness and Socio economical status are often found to exert profound influence on the behaviors and practices related to Menstrual Management. Menstrual hygiene and sanitation is an important point to overcome urinary tract infections. Misconceptions and practices which sometimes results into adverse health consequences.

METHOD:

A descriptive correlation study was conducted and two hundred and nine post pubertal girls in the age group of 11-14 years were selected by purposive sampling technique from three schools of Chidambaram, Tamil Nadu. After obtaining prior permission from the school authorities questionnaire was used to elicit information to assess menstrual health problems, methods to alleviate menstrual pain, attitudes towards menarche and menstrual management.

a) Menstrual health problems of the adolescent girls (Pimples, Stomach pain, sudden increase in body weight and leg pain) were assessed with their response.

b) Methods to alleviate menstrual pain (Tablets/Fruit juices/Buttermilk/any others)

were assessed with their response.

c) Attitudes towards menarch (Felt boring/uncomfortable/undesirable because of customs and traditions/desirable/neither happy nor unhappy) were assessed with their response.

d) Menstrual management (Type of napkin, storage area, disposal/reuse details and personal hygiene during – menstruation) were assessed with their response.

RESULTS:

Results revealed that 41% of the girls (201/209) had stomach pain, 25% of the girls (121/209) had pimple and 10% of the girls (50/209) showed sudden increase in body weight and 40% of the girls (196/209) had leg pain and menstruation brings a host of both physical and psychological problems for the girls. The girls experienced different problems during menstruation like pain in abdomen, backache, dizziness, headache and pain in legs.

Methods to alleviate menstrual pain:

It is evident from the results that 52 % of post pubertal girls were taking tablets, while 37 % of post pubertal girls have the habit of taking butter milk and only 11 % of post pubertal girls drink fruit juices to alleviate menstrual pain. Few of the subjects have reported calm and quite surrounding as the best remedy to kill pain.

Attitude of post pubertal girls towards menarche:

The results revealed that irrespective of their residential area majority of girls reported negative attitude towards menarche. In the urban area 16 percent of the girls and in rural areas 18 percent of girls felt bored because of menstrual cycle. A total of 39 percentages of urban girls and 7 percentages of rural girls reported uncomfortable feeling during menses. Higher percentage of rural girls (62.2%) had negative attitude than urban girls (31%) because of customs and tradition. None of them recorded that it was desirable but 14% of urban girls and 13% of rural girls, recorded that neither they were happy nor they were unhappy because of the natural phenomenon.

Menstrual Management:

Menstrual hygiene and management is an issue that is insufficiently acknowledged and has not received adequate attention. A variety of factors are known to affect the behaviors. Age, culture, awareness and socio economical status are often found to exert profound influence on the behaviors and practices. An effort was made to evaluate the awareness on menstrual hygienic practices among the selected subjects. From the results the pattern of use of Sanitary napkins by the girls was compared. 90% of urban girls used disposable pads and 98% of rural girls used cotton or cloth material. With respect to storage of the sanitary napkins and the pattern of use, it was found that 56 % girls stored the clean (unused) pads in the cupboards or drawers, and 13%, 19 % ,12 % girls used dress cabinet and bathroom and outside the house respectively. Regarding the practice of changing pads was comparatively better among urban girls. Regarding the personal hygiene, most of the girls in both urban and rural areas had the practice of bathing daily, but only minimum number had the practice of bathing once in 2 days. It was also noticed that most of the girls had the practice of hand washing after changing napkin but in the urban area 58% of girls had the practice of hand washing with soap. Older girls had better hygienic practices than the younger ones.

CONCLUSION:

There is a need for adolescent to understand, specific information on menstrual care. Menstrual hygiene and management is an issue that is insufficiently acknowledge and has not received adequate attention. Knowledge on health care can also help to prevent and identify the adolescent’s reproductive tract infections. This would promote healthy living and prevent adverse consequences. Points to remember to lead healthy life during menstruation.

- Do normal day today activities during menstrual period.

- Take bath twice a day and wear clean clothes.

- Use adequate number of disposable pads daily.

- Use soap for hand washing

- Eat balanced diet and take adequate amount of fluid

REFERENCE:

1. Serap.S, FundaK. Devrin TK, Mehmet Z, Ozgur.S (2009). Factors affecting on set of puberty in Denizli province in Turkey, The Turkish journal of Pediatrics, 51 (1), 49-55.

2. Merzenich H, Boeing H, Wahrendorf (1993) Dietary fat and sports activity as determinants for age at menarche, American Journal of Epidemiology-138 (4) 217- 224.

3. Santhosh Jain Passi and Anita Malhotra (2005). Nutrition, Health and Developmental needs of adolescent girls. Press information Bureau, Govt. of India Pg No.1-3.

Received on 21.04.2016 Modified on 16.05.2016

Int. J. Nur. Edu. and Research. 2016. 2016; 4(4): 411-412.

DOI: 10.5958/2454-2660.2016.00074.0