Age at Menarche and Menstrual Problems Among School‑Going Adolescent Girls of a North Indian District

Abstract

Background: Menstruation and related problems are difficult issues for adolescent girls and are a common reason for consulting healthcare providers.

Objectives: To study age at menarche and menstrual problems among school girls in Lucknow district of north India.

Materials and Methods: A cross‑sectional study was carried out in urban as well as rural schools of Lucknow district from October 2008 to September 2009. Multistage random sampling was used to select the requisite number of girls. A total of 847 school‑going adolescent girls between 10 and 19 years of age were interviewed and examined. Statistical analyses were done using percentage and Chi‑square test.

Results: Out of 847 adolescent girls, 76.7% (650) girls had attained menarche. The overall mean age at menarche was 12.84 (1.4) years. The age at menarche and duration of menstrual flow were significantly associated with place of schools. About one‑fourth of the girls in all the three age groups (10‑13, 14‑16 and 17‑19 years) had irregular menstrual cycle. Overall, 73.7% (479/650) girls had dysmenorrhea, with 74.3% (323/435) girls in urban schools and 72.6% (156/215) girls in rural schools. There was no significant association between reproductive tract illnesses and place of schools.

Conclusion: Menstruation is an important milestone for adolescent girls and menstrual problems are common among adolescent girls. So, there is a need to explain everything correctly about menstruation. It was suggested that a strong need exists for strong health educational activities among the adolescent girls, their parents, and teachers for effective management of menstrual problems among all adolescent girls.

Keywords: Adolescent girls, dysmenorrhea, Lucknow district, menstruation