TABLE OF CONTENTS
DECLARATION ....................................................................................................................... ii
APPROVAL ............................................................................................................................. iii
DEDICATION.......................................................................................................................... iv
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT...........................................................................................................v
LIST OF TABLES.................................................................................................................. viii
LIST OF FIGURES .................................................................................................................. ix
ABBREVIATIONS AND ACRONYMS ....................................................................................x
ABSTRACT ............................................................................................................................. xi
CHAPTER ONE.........................................................................................................................1
1.0 Introduction .......................................................................................................................1
1.2 Problem statement .............................................................................................................4
1.3 Study objectives.................................................................................................................4
1.3.1 General objective.........................................................................................................4
1.3.2 Specific objectives.......................................................................................................5
1.4Research questions..............................................................................................................5
1.5 Justification of the study ....................................................................................................5
1.6 scope of the study ..............................................................................................................5
1.7 Conceptual frame work......................................................................................................6
CHAPTER TWO ……………………………………………………………………..………….7
LITERATURE REVIEW............................................................................................................7
2.0 Introduction .......................................................................................................................7
2.1 Knowledge about menstrual hygiene..................................................................................7
2.1.2 Awareness...................................................................................................................8
2.2 Practices in managing menstrual hygiene ...........................................................................8
2.2.1 Reusable pads..............................................................................................................8
2.2.2 Traditional materials....................................................................................................8
2.2.3 Disposable pads...........................................................................................................9
2.3 Challenges faced during menstruation................................................................................9
2.3.1 Lack of facilities at school...........................................................................................9
2.3.2 Lack of sanitary materials..........................................................................................10
vii
CHAPTER THREE...................................................................................................................11
METHODOLOGY....................................................................................................................11
3.0 Introduction .....................................................................................................................11
3.1 Study area........................................................................................................................11
3.2 Study design ....................................................................................................................11
3.3Study population...............................................................................................................11
3.4 Sample Size Determination..............................................................................................12
3.5 Sample size......................................................................................................................12
3.6 Sample method ................................................................................................................12
3.7 Inclusion and Exclusion Criteria ......................................................................................12
3.8 Data Collection methods..................................................................................................13
3.9 Data analysis and presentation .........................................................................................13
3.11 Study Limitation ............................................................................................................13
3.12 Ethical Considerations ...................................................................................................13
CHAPTER FOUR.....................................................................................................................15
PRESENTATION OF RESULTS AND INTERPRETATION ..................................................15
4.1 Results.............................................................................................................................15
4.2 Bar graph showing number of respondents against their Age distribution. ........................15
4.4 Challenges faced in managing menstrual hygiene at school..............................................20
CHAPTER FIVE ......................................................................................................................23
DISCUSSION, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION. ................................................23
Discussion .............................................................................................................................23
5.6 Conclusion.......................................................................................................................24
5.7Recommendation ..............................................................................................................24
REFERENCES .........................................................................................................................25
APPENDICES ..........................................................................................................................27
Appendix I: Letter of consent ................................................................................................27
Appendix II: Questionnaire....................................................................................................28
Appendix III: MAP OF BUSHENYI DISTRICT ...................................................................30
Appendix IV: MAP OF UGANDA ...........................................................................................31
ABSTRACT Background: In the lives of girls and women, there is that adolescence stage marked by the onset of menstruation, onwards until menopause, reproductive health and menstrual hygiene are important aspects of their lives yet information, knowledge and practices of menstrual hygiene among school girls is inadequate with increasing challenges. Objective: Assessed factors affecting menstrual hygiene among schoolgirls aged (14-25) attending OPD KIU-TH in Bushenyi District. Method: A descriptive cross sectional study was used to reveal the knowledge, practices, and challenges faced in managing menstrual hygiene among schoolgirls. Results: Study revealed; lack of awareness and knowledge whereby only (45%) had information on menstrual hygiene. Low practices of managing menstrual hygiene of which40% used pads, 90% of which used reusable pads and30% used high traditional materials as pads. Inadequate facilities, resources were among the great challenges affecting MH. Discussion: The study found out that, there was lack of awareness and knowledge concerning menstrual hygiene among school girls aged (14-25) years attending OPD-KIUTH with the highest peak among the young school girls. Further, it revealed low hygienic practices of managing menstrual hygiene among school girls because most girls who used pads used reusable pads and if not stored well result into infections. The high existence of lack of facilities and sanitary pads among schoolgirls to manage their menstruation hygienically was because of resource limitation. Conclusion and Recommendation: There is lack of knowledge, low practices and inadequate facilities to manage menstrual hygiene among schoolgirls and therefore stakeholders with full authorities should intervene in such problems.
