Attitude To And Practice of Menstrual Hygiene Among Female Senior Secondary School Students In Udenu Local Government Area, Enugu State.
Attitude To And Practice of Menstrual Hygiene Among Female Senior Secondary School Students In Udenu Local Government Area, Enugu State.
ABSTRACT
The purpose of the study was to determine the negative and positive attitude to and practice of menstrual hygiene among senior female secondary school students in Udenu local government area, Enugu state.
To achieve the purpose of the study, ten specific objectives with corresponding research questions were posed and two hypotheses postulated. Descriptive survey research design was used for the study.
The population for the study consisted of 7680 senior female secondary school students while stratified sampling procedure was used to draw a sample of 384 students used for the study.
The instrument for data collection was 40 item researcher’s designed questionnaire. The research questions were answered using means and percentages while null hypotheses were tested using analysis of variance (ANOVA) and chi-square statistics at .05 level of significance.
The following results were obtained. Attitude towards personal hygiene (f = 19.894, P=.000<.05) attitude towards selection of menstrual absorbents (f=28.675, P =.000< .05), Attitude towards disposal (F =10.736, P =. 000< .05) and attitude towards storage of menstrual absorbents (F=11.461, P =.000<.05).
The P- values were lesser than .05 level of significance at 2 and 283 degrees of freedom.
For the practices: practices towards personal hygiene (X2= 127.5,6, P=.000), selection of menstrual absorbents (X2=17.917 P=.000), disposal (X2 =97.292, P=. 000) and storage (X2= 42.965, p =. 000) with their corresponding P- values which are lesser than .05 level of significance at 8 degrees of freedom.
Major findings show that age has major effects on the attitudes and practices of menstrual hygiene among senior female secondary students.
It was recommended by the researcher that government should expand and intensify education on menstrual hygiene so as curb these negative attitudes and practices towards menstruation.
It was also recommended that appropriate waste disposal facilities such as toilets and incinerator should be provided especially in schools to ensure adequate menstrual waste disposal.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Title page i
Approval page ii
Certification iii
Dedication iv
Acknowledgement v
Table of content vi
List of table viii
Appendices ix
Abstract x
CHAPTER ONE: Introduction
Background to the Study 1
Statement of the Problem 9
Purpose of the Study 10
Research Questions 11
Hypotheses 12
Significance of the Study 12
Scope of the Study 15
CHAPTER TWO: Review of Related Literature
Conceptual Framework 16
Menstrual hygiene. 16
Components of menstrual hygiene. 20
Attitude. 27
Practice. 31
Senior Secondary Students. 32
Socio-demographic factors associated with menstrual hygiene. 32
Theoretical Framework 36
Health belief model. 36
Theory of reasoned action (TRA). 37
Theory of planned behaviour. 37
Review of Empirical Studies 40
Summary of Literature Review 47
CHAPTER THREE: Methods
Research Design 49
Area of the Study 49
Population for the Study 50
Sample and Sampling Technique 50
Instrument for Data Collection 51
Validity of the Instrument 51
Reliability of the Instrument 52
Method of Data Collection 52
Method of Data Analysis 52
CHAPTER FOUR: Results and Discussion Results 54
Summary of Major Findings 73
Discussions 75
Attitude of senior female secondary school students towards 75 menstrual hygiene.
Practice of senior female secondary school students towards menstrual Hygiene 77
CHAPTER FIVE: Summary, Conclusions and Recommendations Summary 81
Conclusion 83
Recommendations 85
Suggestion for Further Studies 86
References 87
Appendices 93
INTRODUCTION
Background to the Study
Menstruation is a phenomenon unique to all females. The onset of menstruation represents a landmark even in pubertal development of the adolescent girl.
Menstruation a natural process in a woman’s life needs special care from physical and psychological point of view.
Menstrual hygiene management is an issue that is insufficiently acknowledged and has not received adequate attention from any quarter of the society (Arkutu, 1995).
Menstruation and the menstrual cycle are characterized by variability in volume, pattern and regularities, which at the earlier stages of the development of the adolescent can create emotional discomfort particularly to the poorly informed girl (Nair, 2011).
The challenge of providing special facilities for girls reaching puberty is a question far removed from the authorities. The lack of policy in this regard is a major hurdle.
Unfortunately, authorities have not yet realized the fact that lack of facilities in school can force girls to remain absent from schools and in the other hand, it would cause infectious diseases.
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