Improving quality of life with new menstrual hygiene practices among adolescent tribal girls in rural Gujarat, India

Bibliographic Data

ID3972536
AuthorsShobha P Shah, Shobha Shah (0000-0001-7205-2297, Society for Education Welfare and Action Rural), Rajesh Nair (0000-0001-7911-4972), Rajesh Gopalan Nair (Indian Institute of Public Health Gandhinagar), Pankaj P Shah, Pankaj Shah (Society for Education Welfare and Action Rural), Dhiren K Modi, Dhiren Modi (0000-0002-4146-1159, Society for Education Welfare and Action Rural), Shrey A Desai, Shrey Desai (0000-0002-5565-5392, Society for Education Welfare and Action Rural), Lata Desai
Year2013
Volume21
Issue41
Pages205-213
Publication date2013-01-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessNo
TypeARTICLE
VenueReproductive Health Matters (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0968-8080 • E-ISSN: 1460-9576
PublisherInforma UK Limited (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1016/s0968-8080(13)41691-9
PMID23684203
OpenAlexW1969844479
LanguageEN
Citations received19
References cited4

The Government of India has started a new scheme aimed at offering sanitary pads at a subsidized rate to adolescent girls in rural areas. This paper addresses menstrual health and hygiene practices among adolescent girls in a rural, tribal region of South Gujarat, India, and their experiences using old cloths, a new soft cloth (falalin) and sanitary pads. Qualitative and quantitative data were collected in a community-based study over six months, with a pre-and post- design, among 164 adolescent girls from eight villages. Questions covered knowledge of menstruation, menstrual practices, quality of life, experience and satisfaction with the different cloths/pads and symptoms of reproductive tract infections. Knowledge regarding changes of puberty, source of menstrual blood and route of urine and menstrual flow was low. At baseline 90% of girls were using old cloths. At the end of the study, 68% of adolescent girls said their first choice was falalin cloths, while 32% said it was sanitary pads. None of them preferred old cloths. The introduction of falalin cloths improved quality of life significantly (p<0.000) and to a lesser extent also sanitary pads. No significant reduction was observed in self-reported symptoms of reproductive tract infections. Falalin cloths were culturally more acceptable as they were readily available, easy to use and cheaper than sanitary pads

Environmental health · Hygiene · Menstruation · Rural area · Historical and modern epidemiology studies · Medicine · Menstrual Health and Disorders · Nursing

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