ATTITUDE OF FEMALE SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS TOWARDS MENSTRUATION AND MENSTRUAL HYGIENE PRACTICES IN ABOH MBAISE LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA OF IMO STATE, NIGERIA

Abstract

The purpose of the study was to determine the Attitude of Female Secondary School Students towards Menstruation and Menstrual Hygiene Practices in Aboh Mbaise Local Government Area of Imo State, Nigeria. Specifically, the study identified four objectives with the corresponding research questions, and two hypotheses were postulated which guided the study. The population for the study comprised of 3,805 female secondary school students in Aboh Mbaise local government area of Imo state. The study adopted the descriptive survey design, using questionnaire as tool for data collection. The instrument was validated by three experts. Three hundred and eighty (380) copies of the questionnaire were distributed but three hundred and thirty-eight (338) copies were returned and correctly filled which gave a return rate of 97.6 per cent. A multi-stage sampling procedure was used to select 380 female secondary school students representing 10 per cent of the population. Data generated were analyzed using percentages and mean while Chi-square and ANOVA was used in testing hypotheses at .05 level of significance and at appropriate degrees of freedom. The results revealed that female secondary school students have positive attitude towards menstruation and there was significant difference in the menstrual hygiene practices according to age f=104,df=3&28,p=.9517>.05). The study therefore recommends that there is need for health educators and parents to encourage safe and hygienic practices among the adolescent girls and bring them out of misconceptions regarding menstruation.