Year: 2025 | Month: April | Volume: 15 | Issue: 4 | Pages: 290-298
DOI: https://doi.org/10.52403/ijhsr.20250442
Dysmenorrhea and Menstrual Hygiene Practices among Adolescent Girls in a Selected School of Nuwakot, Nepal
Gita Dhakal Chalise1, Drishya Puri2, Roja Kunwar3
1Associate Professor, College of Nursing, Nepalese Army Institute of Health Sciences, Kathmandu, Nepal.
2A level student, St, Xavier’s College, Kathmandu, Nepal.
3B.Sc. Nurse, Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital, Kathmandu, Nepal. Email:
Corresponding Author: Gita Dhakal Chalise
ABSTRACT
Introduction: Dysmenorrhea or painful menstruation is a prevalent issue among adolescent girls which may have severe lasting impacts on an adolescent’s life. Menstrual hygiene is very important issue among them, however it is still a neglected area of concern in many parts of the world including Nepal.The objective of this study was to find out the prevalence of dysmenorrhea and menstrual hygiene practices among secondary-level female students.
Materials and Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was carried out among 182 girls of grade 11 and 12 at Tribhuwan Trisuli Higher Secondary School in Nuwakot. The study area was selected purposively, and the study samples were selected using random number table. A semi-structured, self-administered questionnaire was used for data collection. Descriptive statistics such as frequency, percentage, mean, standard deviation and inferential statistical methods i.e. Chi-square test (χ2) were used for data analysis.
Results: The study revealed that most (93.4%) of the respondents experienced dysmenorrhea and among them, 28% used to experience worst level of menstrual pain. Similarly, more than half (53.3%) of the respondents had good menstrual hygiene practices whereas, 46.7% had poor practices. The study also indicates that there is significant association of menstrual hygiene practice with respondents’ age (p-value 0.029).
Conclusions: The study concludes that dysmenorrhea is prevalent among adolescent girls and half of them had good menstrual hygiene practices. Furthermore, menstrual hygiene practice tends to be associated with their age. Therefore, specific school-based interventions are necessary for the management of dysmenorrhoea and improvement of menstrual hygiene practice among adolescent girls.
Key words: Dysmenorrhea, Menstrual Hygiene Practices, Adolescent Girls