Study on Knowledge Attitudes and Practices Regarding Menstrual Hygiene among Rural Women in Kerala

Abstract

Background: Menstruation is a phenomenon unique to females. It carries with it the joy of being a mother and also the sorrow of guilt due to unclean feeling. Orthodox Indian culture does not allow open discussion about it and the associated problems. Aims: To measure the knowledge, attitude, & practice regarding menstrual hygiene among the adolescent girls & women in rural area aged between 15-50 years, in Anjarakandy Panchayat of Kannur district of Kerala. Settings and design: It is a cross sectional study. The data was collected by interview method by MBBS students under the supervision of investigators. There were 217 women who could be contacted during our visit to 3 clusters (in 3 wards) of households of Anjarakandy Panchayat. The first house was randomly chosen & subsequently each adjacent house was taken. All the eligible women who could be contacted during the allotted time were included. Material and Methods: The questionnaire consisted of both open ended & closed ended questions.