Health care seeking behaviour for common menstrual problems and their determinants in Adolescent girls at rural setting in Central India: A mix-method study

Introduction Menstrual problems among adolescent females are common and a significant source of morbidity in this population.This study was to collect data on the different health seeking behaviours used by adolescents and their determinants for common menstrual illness in rural population in central India. Collected information may be vital for the development of appropriate adolescent healthcare system. Aims & Objectives To assess the health care seeking behaviour and factors determinants in adolescent girl/ their parents for menstrual problems in rural areas ofBhopal. Material & Methods This cross sectional study was done in nearby (within 30km radius of AIIMS Bhopal) schools villages on adolescent girls (12-19 years) after excluding the chronic illnesses. By using multistage cluster sampling 10 village schools were selected randomly. After taking informed consent from the head of the school 40 girls from each school were enrolled. The information were collected using a pre tested, semi structured questionnaire from all 400 participants. Statistical analysis was done by using IBM-SPSS version 22 software. Results The mean age of the girls in the study was 17±1.4 years. In our study 27% of adolescent girls suffered from menstrual problems with dysmenorrhoea (48%) was the most frequent complaint out of which nearly one-third of adolescent girls sought treatment. Majority (67%) girls didn’t know about menstruation prior to menarche. Social barriers/ restrictions, shame and misconceptions with the menstruations were commonly reported in these girls. Conclusion Adolescent girls are reluctant to seek medical advice and with little knowledge on adolescent’s health-seeking behavior towards the menstrual problems leading to delay in the diagnosis and treatment. Adolescent health educational programmes in the society and in the schools help the girls toimprove the treatment-seeking for menstrual problems, specifically in rural areas.