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

Coast, Ernestina ORCID: 0000-0002-8703-307X, Lattof, Samantha R. ORCID: 0000-0003-0934-1488 and Strong, Joe ORCID: 0000-0001-8626-4020 (2019) Puberty and menstruation knowledge among young adolescents in low- and middle-income countries: a scoping review. International Journal of Public Health, 64 (2). pp. 293-304. ISSN 1661-8564

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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

Item Type:	Article
Additional Information:	© 2019 The Authors
Divisions:	International Development LSE Health
Subjects:	H Social Sciences > HN Social history and conditions. Social problems. Social reform R Medicine > RA Public aspects of medicine > RA0421 Public health. Hygiene. Preventive Medicine
Date Deposited:	11 Feb 2019 16:27
Last Modified:	15 Nov 2024 05:15
URI:	http://eprints.lse.ac.uk/id/eprint/100077

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