A Qualitative Study to Explore Adolescent Girls Belief on Menstruation and Health Seeking Behavior

Karuna Bhattarai; Rajendra Karkee; Anup Ghimire; Prajjwal Pyakurel; Purna Prasad Sharma; Tara Ballav Adhikari; Rama Shrestha

doi:doi:10.11648/j.bs.20200602.13

A Qualitative Study to Explore Adolescent Girls Belief on Menstruation and Health Seeking Behavior

Karuna Bhattarai, Rajendra Karkee, Anup Ghimire, Prajjwal Pyakurel, Purna Prasad Sharma, Tara Ballav Adhikari, Rama Shrestha

Published in Biomedical Sciences (Volume 6, Issue 2)

Received: 25 April 2020 Accepted: 18 May 2020 Published: 16 June 2020

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Abstract

Background: To study issues related to menstruation and health seeking practices to address the importance of the reproductive health of adolescent girls. Methods: A qualitative study was conducted in Surkhet district, Province 6 of Western Nepal. Information was collected from four focus group discussions (FGDs). Two FGDs were conducted among adolescent girls and remaining two from mothers having adolescent daughters. Results: FGDs show that most of the adolescent girls were shy and anxious during menarche. Some of them could not tell their mother too. Majority of them restricted to do some activities and consume some food items during menstruation. Yet, the practice of visiting“dhami jhakri” and then only going to the health facility after the problem has become severe. Although menstruation is normal physiology, in Nepal menstruating woman is categorized as “impure”, “polluted” and victimized in the form of “Chhaupadi Pratha”. The misconception that “females touching others during their menstruation brings God’s curse to their home and families” is still rampant in Western Nepal. Conclusion: Concerned authorities should conduct health promotion activities to address menstrual hygiene and other traditional practices among adolescent girls in the Western Nepal. The findings of this study will be useful for healthcare professional and administrator to improve the reproductive health status of the adolescent.

Published in	Biomedical Sciences (Volume 6, Issue 2)
DOI	10.11648/j.bs.20200602.13
Page(s)	31-37
Creative Commons	This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, provided the original work is properly cited.
Copyright	Copyright © The Author(s), 2020. Published by Science Publishing Group

Keywords

Adolescent Girls, Menstrual Practice, Health Seeking Behavior, Nepal

References

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[3]	World Health Organization. Adolescent development. Available from: http://www.who.int/maternal_child_adolescent/topics/adolescence/development/en/.
[4]	Anoop Khanna. Menstrual Practices and Reproductive Problems: A Study of Adolescent Girls in Rajasthan. Journal of Health Management. 2005.
[5]	Joshi LR. Chhaupadi Partha: Socio-cultural Violence against Women in the Far Western Region of Nepal. Journal of Nepal Public Health Association. 2015; 6 (1).
[6]	Trudy D'souza. Gyanetone Official Blog. October 29, 2015
[7]	FieldBulletin "ChaupadiIn The Far-West". 2011 (1). Available from: http://www.ohchr.org/Documents/Issues/Water/ContributionsStigma/oth ers/field_bulletin.
[8]	McMahon SA, Winch PJ, Caruso BA, Obure AF, Ogutu EA, Ochari IA, et al. 'The girl with her period is the one to hang her head'Reflections on menstrual management among schoolgirls in rural Kenya. BMC international health and human rights. 2011; 11 (1): 7.
[9]	Al Omari O, Razeq NMA, Fooladi MM. Experience of menarche among Jordanian adolescent girls: An interpretive phenomenological analysis. Journal of pediatric and adolescent gynecology. 2016; 29 (3): 246-51.
[10]	Ramya V, Reddy MR, Sridevi B. A Study on Reproductive Morbidity and Menstrual Hygiene among Adolescent Girls of Urban Slum Area of Chitradurga. National Journal of Community Medicine. 2016; 7 (3): 180-3.
[11]	Rahman MM, Kabir M, Shahidullah M. Adolescent self-reported reproductive morbidity and health care seeking behaviour. Religion. 2004; 33 (6): 1248.
[12]	Pokhrel R. Adolescents not getting friendly health services The Himalayan Times. July 11, 2015.
[13]	Hamal M, Susma K. Hygiene, Health Problems and Socio-cultural practices: what school girls do during menstruation age. 2014; 12 (13): 14.
[14]	Shanbhag D, Shilpa R, D’souza N, Josephine P, Singh J, Goud B. Perceptions regarding menstruation and practices during menstrual cycles among high school going adolescent girls in resource limited settings around Bangalore city, Karnataka, India. International Journal of Collaborative Research on Internal Medicine & Public Health. 2012; 4 (7): 1353-62.
[15]	Ade A, Patil R. Menstrual hygiene and practices of rural adolescent girls of Raichur. International Journel of Bio Med Research. 2013; 4 (2): 3014-7.
[16]	Khanal P. Adolescents Knowledge and Perception of Sexual and Reproductive Health and Services-A Study from Nepal. 2016.
[17]	Kumar A, Srivastava K. Cultural and social practices regarding menstruation among adolescent girls. Social work in public health. 2011; 26 (6): 594-604.
[18]	Pradhan WA. Is menstrual hygiene and management an issue for adolescent school girls? A comparative study of four schools in different settings of Nepal. 2009.
[19]	GC Sona, Koirala Priti. Menstruation among Nepalese Adolescent girls. 2013.
[20]	Garg S, Sharma N, Sahay R. Socio-cultural aspects of menstruation in an urban slum in Delhi, India. Reproductive health matters. 2001; 9 (17): 16-25.
[21]	S. B. Parajuli et al. Chaupadi during menstruation still a major community health challenge: perspective from Mid-Western Nepal 2018.

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Karuna Bhattarai, Rajendra Karkee, Anup Ghimire, Prajjwal Pyakurel, Purna Prasad Sharma, et al. (2020). A Qualitative Study to Explore Adolescent Girls Belief on Menstruation and Health Seeking Behavior. Biomedical Sciences, 6(2), 31-37. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.bs.20200602.13

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ACS Style

Karuna Bhattarai; Rajendra Karkee; Anup Ghimire; Prajjwal Pyakurel; Purna Prasad Sharma, et al. A Qualitative Study to Explore Adolescent Girls Belief on Menstruation and Health Seeking Behavior. Biomed. Sci. 2020, 6(2), 31-37. doi: 10.11648/j.bs.20200602.13

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AMA Style

Karuna Bhattarai, Rajendra Karkee, Anup Ghimire, Prajjwal Pyakurel, Purna Prasad Sharma, et al. A Qualitative Study to Explore Adolescent Girls Belief on Menstruation and Health Seeking Behavior. Biomed Sci. 2020;6(2):31-37. doi: 10.11648/j.bs.20200602.13

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@article{10.11648/j.bs.20200602.13,
  author = {Karuna Bhattarai and Rajendra Karkee and Anup Ghimire and Prajjwal Pyakurel and Purna Prasad Sharma and Tara Ballav Adhikari and Rama Shrestha},
  title = {A Qualitative Study to Explore Adolescent Girls Belief on Menstruation and Health Seeking Behavior},
  journal = {Biomedical Sciences},
  volume = {6},
  number = {2},
  pages = {31-37},
  doi = {10.11648/j.bs.20200602.13},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.bs.20200602.13},
  eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.bs.20200602.13},
  abstract = {Background: To study issues related to menstruation and health seeking practices to address the importance of the reproductive health of adolescent girls. Methods: A qualitative study was conducted in Surkhet district, Province 6 of Western Nepal. Information was collected from four focus group discussions (FGDs). Two FGDs were conducted among adolescent girls and remaining two from mothers having adolescent daughters. Results: FGDs show that most of the adolescent girls were shy and anxious during menarche. Some of them could not tell their mother too. Majority of them restricted to do some activities and consume some food items during menstruation. Yet, the practice of visiting“dhami jhakri” and then only going to the health facility after the problem has become severe. Although menstruation is normal physiology, in Nepal menstruating woman is categorized as “impure”, “polluted” and victimized in the form of “Chhaupadi Pratha”. The misconception that “females touching others during their menstruation brings God’s curse to their home and families” is still rampant in Western Nepal. Conclusion: Concerned authorities should conduct health promotion activities to address menstrual hygiene and other traditional practices among adolescent girls in the Western Nepal. The findings of this study will be useful for healthcare professional and administrator to improve the reproductive health status of the adolescent.},
 year = {2020}
}

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TY - JOUR
T1 - A Qualitative Study to Explore Adolescent Girls Belief on Menstruation and Health Seeking Behavior
AU - Karuna Bhattarai
AU - Rajendra Karkee
AU - Anup Ghimire
AU - Prajjwal Pyakurel
AU - Purna Prasad Sharma
AU - Tara Ballav Adhikari
AU - Rama Shrestha
Y1 - 2020/06/16
PY - 2020
N1 - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.bs.20200602.13
DO - 10.11648/j.bs.20200602.13
T2 - Biomedical Sciences
JF - Biomedical Sciences
JO - Biomedical Sciences
SP - 31
EP - 37
PB - Science Publishing Group
SN - 2575-3932
UR - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.bs.20200602.13
AB - Background: To study issues related to menstruation and health seeking practices to address the importance of the reproductive health of adolescent girls. Methods: A qualitative study was conducted in Surkhet district, Province 6 of Western Nepal. Information was collected from four focus group discussions (FGDs). Two FGDs were conducted among adolescent girls and remaining two from mothers having adolescent daughters. Results: FGDs show that most of the adolescent girls were shy and anxious during menarche. Some of them could not tell their mother too. Majority of them restricted to do some activities and consume some food items during menstruation. Yet, the practice of visiting“dhami jhakri” and then only going to the health facility after the problem has become severe. Although menstruation is normal physiology, in Nepal menstruating woman is categorized as “impure”, “polluted” and victimized in the form of “Chhaupadi Pratha”. The misconception that “females touching others during their menstruation brings God’s curse to their home and families” is still rampant in Western Nepal. Conclusion: Concerned authorities should conduct health promotion activities to address menstrual hygiene and other traditional practices among adolescent girls in the Western Nepal. The findings of this study will be useful for healthcare professional and administrator to improve the reproductive health status of the adolescent.
VL - 6
IS - 2
ER -

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Author Information

Karuna Bhattarai

School of Public Health and Community Medicine, B. P. Koirala Institute of Health Sciences, Dharan, Nepal
Rajendra Karkee

School of Public Health and Community Medicine, B. P. Koirala Institute of Health Sciences, Dharan, Nepal
Anup Ghimire

School of Public Health and Community Medicine, B. P. Koirala Institute of Health Sciences, Dharan, Nepal
Prajjwal Pyakurel

School of Public Health and Community Medicine, B. P. Koirala Institute of Health Sciences, Dharan, Nepal
Purna Prasad Sharma

Tikapur Hospital, Tikapur Kailali, Nepal
Tara Ballav Adhikari

Nepal Health Frontiers, Maharajgunj, Kathmandu, Nepal
Rama Shrestha

National Academy of Medical Sciences, Kathmandu, Nepal

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APA Style

Karuna Bhattarai, Rajendra Karkee, Anup Ghimire, Prajjwal Pyakurel, Purna Prasad Sharma, et al. (2020). A Qualitative Study to Explore Adolescent Girls Belief on Menstruation and Health Seeking Behavior. Biomedical Sciences, 6(2), 31-37. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.bs.20200602.13

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ACS Style

Karuna Bhattarai; Rajendra Karkee; Anup Ghimire; Prajjwal Pyakurel; Purna Prasad Sharma, et al. A Qualitative Study to Explore Adolescent Girls Belief on Menstruation and Health Seeking Behavior. Biomed. Sci. 2020, 6(2), 31-37. doi: 10.11648/j.bs.20200602.13

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AMA Style

Karuna Bhattarai, Rajendra Karkee, Anup Ghimire, Prajjwal Pyakurel, Purna Prasad Sharma, et al. A Qualitative Study to Explore Adolescent Girls Belief on Menstruation and Health Seeking Behavior. Biomed Sci. 2020;6(2):31-37. doi: 10.11648/j.bs.20200602.13

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@article{10.11648/j.bs.20200602.13,
  author = {Karuna Bhattarai and Rajendra Karkee and Anup Ghimire and Prajjwal Pyakurel and Purna Prasad Sharma and Tara Ballav Adhikari and Rama Shrestha},
  title = {A Qualitative Study to Explore Adolescent Girls Belief on Menstruation and Health Seeking Behavior},
  journal = {Biomedical Sciences},
  volume = {6},
  number = {2},
  pages = {31-37},
  doi = {10.11648/j.bs.20200602.13},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.bs.20200602.13},
  eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.bs.20200602.13},
  abstract = {Background: To study issues related to menstruation and health seeking practices to address the importance of the reproductive health of adolescent girls. Methods: A qualitative study was conducted in Surkhet district, Province 6 of Western Nepal. Information was collected from four focus group discussions (FGDs). Two FGDs were conducted among adolescent girls and remaining two from mothers having adolescent daughters. Results: FGDs show that most of the adolescent girls were shy and anxious during menarche. Some of them could not tell their mother too. Majority of them restricted to do some activities and consume some food items during menstruation. Yet, the practice of visiting“dhami jhakri” and then only going to the health facility after the problem has become severe. Although menstruation is normal physiology, in Nepal menstruating woman is categorized as “impure”, “polluted” and victimized in the form of “Chhaupadi Pratha”. The misconception that “females touching others during their menstruation brings God’s curse to their home and families” is still rampant in Western Nepal. Conclusion: Concerned authorities should conduct health promotion activities to address menstrual hygiene and other traditional practices among adolescent girls in the Western Nepal. The findings of this study will be useful for healthcare professional and administrator to improve the reproductive health status of the adolescent.},
 year = {2020}
}

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