Puberty and menstruation knowledge among young adolescents in low- and middle-income countries: a scoping review

Abstract

Objectives This study presents a scoping review of evidence relating to knowledge and experiences of puberty and menstruation among females aged 10–14 years in low- and middle-income countries. Methods Forty-four items from 12 countries were identified from a systematic scoping review and screening of 8083 items. Included studies were quality assessed. Results A majority (40/44) of studies used school-based samples, and fifteen studies reported on interventions. Girls had inadequate knowledge about menstruation; menarche as a trigger for girls learning about menstruation was common. Adolescents struggled with menstrual hygiene. Negative emotions were associated with menarche and menstrual management. A minority of studies dealt explicitly with puberty. Most girls obtained information about menstruation and/or puberty from their mothers, although mothers were not necessarily girls’ preferred source for learning about these topics. Conclusions Young adolescent girls are under-prepared for puberty and menstruation. Predominantly school-based studies mean we know little about young out-of-school adolescents. The evidence base lags behind the rise in interest from practitioners as well as the development (and evaluation) of puberty and/or menstruation interventions. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1007/s00038-019-01209-0) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Perceptions and practices related to menstruation amongst tribal adolescent girls in rural field practice area of tertiary health care institute in Mumbai

“…Awareness needs a baseline assessment for rectifying the issues. [7][8][9] With this background, we conducted a cross sectional study to assess the perception and practices about menstrual hygiene among tribal adolescents in an administrative area of a tertiary care hospital in Mumbai, Maharashtra.…”

Attitude Towards Menstruation Among Female In-School Adolescents: A Comparative Cross-Sectional Study in Southwest Nigeria

“…Adolescence signals the transition from childhood, to adulthood, and associated with rapid pubertal development and sexual maturation (3). During pubertal development, psychological, cognitive, hormonal and physical changes occur with diverse variations in individuals, because of environmental, nutritional and genetic factors (4,5). Adolescence heralds menarche (6), a rite of passage for girls, that signals the transition to womanhood (5).…”

“…During pubertal development, psychological, cognitive, hormonal and physical changes occur with diverse variations in individuals, because of environmental, nutritional and genetic factors (4,5). Adolescence heralds menarche (6), a rite of passage for girls, that signals the transition to womanhood (5). The menstrual cycle has three phases; the follicular, ovulation and luteal (secretory) phases, regulated by hormones (3,7).…”

Attitude towards menstruation by female in-school adolescents: A comparative cross-sectional study in southwest Nigeria

“…Adolescence signals the transition from childhood, to adulthood, and associated with rapid pubertal development and sexual maturation (3). During pubertal development, psychological, cognitive, hormonal and physical changes occur with diverse variations in individuals, because of environmental, nutritional and genetic factors (4,5). Adolescence heralds menarche (6), a rite of passage for girls, that signals transition to womanhood (5).…”

“…During pubertal development, psychological, cognitive, hormonal and physical changes occur with diverse variations in individuals, because of environmental, nutritional and genetic factors (4,5). Adolescence heralds menarche (6), a rite of passage for girls, that signals transition to womanhood (5). The menstrual cycle has three phases; the follicular, ovulation and luteal (secretory) phases, regulated by hormones (3,7).…”