Problems of menstruation among adolescent girls and its related cultural practices as expressed by mother in urban community of kamrup district, assam

Background. According to WHO, adolescence is defined as a person between 10 -19 years age. There are about 1.2 billion adolescence worldwide and one in every five people in the world is an adolescent
One of the major changes occurs among adolescence girl is menarche. The first menses is called “Menarche”. Menstruation is a natural phenomenon among matured females who experience shedding of blood for 1-7 days every month from the age of maturity until menopause. There is about 1.2 billion adolescence worldwide and one in every five people in the world is an adolescent
Methods: A cross sectional study was conducted in Dhirenpara maternal and child welfare hospital and Pandu FRU. Assam,India . Aim of the stydy was: To assess the prevalence of menstrual problems among adolescent girls in the urban community of Kamrup District, Assam. & to assess the cultural practices related to menstruation in the urban community of Kamrup District, Assam. In this study the data were collected from 350 adolescent girls and from 250 mothers by using Multistage stratified random sampling , convenient and purposive sampling. The data were collected by using validated Interview schedule and inventory checklist. The data were collected in the year 2013-2016 in the month of April, July, October and December in different parts respectively.
Major findings of the study:
The Result on Demographic variables it was found that majority of the adolescent girls 200(57.1%%) were found in the age group of 13-16 years ,79(22.1%) were found to be in the age group of 16-19 years followed by 71(20.3%) were in the age group of 10-13 years.
The results on religion, 271(77.6%) adolescent girls were belongs to Hindu and 79(22.6%) were belongs to Muslim.
Regarding age at first menstruation majority 263(75.1%) girls started menstruation bleeding at the age of 12-14 years, 46(13.1%) girls started menstruation bleeding at the age of 10-12 years ,28 (8%) girls started menstruation at the age of 14-15 years 12(3.4%) girls started menstruation at the age of 16-17 years ,and 1(0.3%) girls started menstruation at the age of 8-10 years..
Material used during menstruation: Majority 272 (77.7%) girls used cloth whereas 78(22.3%)) girls used pad.
The results on menstrual problem reveals that 285(81.43%) adolescent girls face pre menstrual problem. 332 (95.13%) adolescent girls face problem during menstruation Pre menstrual problem includes 78(22.3%) adolescent girls experience bloating and breast tenderness, 34 (9.7%) adolescent girls Experience dysphoria (unhappiness),254(72.6%) adolescent girls experience stress and anxiety prior to menstruation, 19(5.4%) adolescent girls experience headache , 39(11.1%) n adolescent girls experience fatigue prior to menstruation , 29 (8.3%) adolescent girls Experience mood swing where as Experience mood swing, 195 (55.7%) girls experience abdominal cramps prior to menstruation , 175(50.0%) adolescent girls experience waist pain, 160 (45.7%) adolescent girls experience acne prior to menstruation . adolescent girls face problem during menstruation. 332 (94.9%) adolescent girls face problem during menstruation . 65 (18.6%) girls suffers from heavy bleeding . 64(18.3%) adolescent girls absence from school, 13(3.7%) adolescent girls affect relationship with others 16(4.6%) adolescent girls feel depressed , 38(10.9%) adolescent girls feel weak due to heavy bleeding , 12(3.4%) does not able to do daily activities . 324 ( 92.6%) adolescent girls Experience dysmennorhoea.313(89.4%) urban adolescent girls experience dysmennorhoea in each cycle . 152 (43.4%) adolescent girls experience experience moderate dysemennorea . 109(31.1%) adolescent girls experience mild dysmennohea and 68( 19.4%) girls experience severe dysmenneorhoea girls . 18 (5.1%) urban adolescent girls experience Headache, dizziness during dysmennorhoea. Due to dysmennorhoea 244(69.7%) urban adolescent girls absence from school. 13(3.7%) affect relationship with others, 25 (7.1%) adolescent girls feel depressed. 38 (10.9%) adolescent girls feel weak.36(10.36%) adolescent girls use home remedies. 60 (17.1%) adolescent girls consult doctor and 15(4.3%) do Nothing. 38 (10.9%) urban adolescent girls put hot water bottle on abdomen.Result on cultural practice related to menarche reveals that 202(80.8%) mother Consider menarche as dirty things . According to 128(51.2%) mother the menarche girl should not eat cooked food for three days. According to 128(51.2%) rural mother the menarche girl should take bath on fourth day of menarche ,according to (1.2%) mothers the menstruating girl should not see men before bathing .According to 5(2.0%) mother the menstruating girl should not see birds before bathing. According to 9(3.6%) mother the menstruating girl should sit on floor or dhakua /dried areca leaves. According to 39(15.6%) mother the menstruating girls should not touch anything except her usable things during her periods . According to 238(95.2%) mother menstruating girl should not touch plants. According to 7(2.8%) mother the menstruating girl should not touch others till 3 days .According to 8(3.2%) mother if the menstruating girl touch anybody he /she should take bath immediately before touching anything else. According to 13(5.2%) mother the menstruating girl should not touch well or tube well. According to 250(100%) mother the menstruating girl should not go to temple and pooja room. Regarding the result related to menstruation hygienic practice reveals that only 16 (6.4%) mother use sanitary pad.. 5(2.0%) mother practice restriction of Sex during menstruation. 103(41.2% ) Mother Wash genitalia during changing Material. 121(48.4%) urban mother wash of genitalia after urination during menstruation. 192(76.8%) urban mother throw used material openly .
Conclusion: The present study concluded that adolescents girls experience many premenstrual and menstrual problem. This affects their daily life. Lacked appropriate knowledge and practices about menstruation in the pre- program phase. Therefore the educational program was successful in attaining its aims of positively changing the knowledge and practice of menstrual hygiene
Recommendations: Development of in-service training program for health care providers who take care of adolescent girls at orphanage home about issues related to menstruation and reproductive health