Knowledge of menstrual hygiene among adolescent girls in public senior secondary schools in Rivers State

Abstract

The study investigated Knowledge of Menstrual Hygiene among Adolescent Girls in Public Senior Secondary Schools in Rivers State. The study adopted cross-sectional survey design. The study population consisted of 57,974 students in public secondary schools. The Taro Yamene’s formula was used to determine a sample size of 400 using the multi-stage sampling procedures. The study also utilized structured questionnaire. Data were analyzed using percentages, mean, standard deviation; z-test and analysis of variance (ANOVA). The study reveals that majority of the respondents were knowledgeable about menstrual hygiene. 350(87.5%) knew that menstrual hygiene refers to personal cleanliness during menstruation; 370(92.5%) knew that during menstruation, a girl is supposed to bath at least twice a day; and 390(97.5%) knew that it is good to change under wears each time you change your pad during menses. The result showed that there was a significant difference in the knowledge of menstrual hygiene based on age (z-cal = 5,162, df= 350, p<0.05), level of study (z-cal=370, df = 390, p<0.05) and religion F (3,604) = 4.564, p<0.05]. It was concluded that, adolescent girls in Public Secondary Schools in Rivers State had good knowledge of menstrual hygiene. However, it was recommended that the school authority should from time to time organize health talk aimed at enlightening adolescent females on menstrual hygiene practices; this will help to sustain the good knowledge of menstrual hygiene found among them irrespective of their age differences or level of study