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Effect of Menstrual Pain Education on Menstrual Pain Self-Management Practices among Female University Students in Nigeria

Abstract

Menstrual pain, commonly referred to as dysmenorrhea, is a common health concern among female university students and may affect physical comfort, academic participation, concentration, social activities, and overall quality of life. Female university students may experience menstrual pain of varying severity and may use different approaches to manage symptoms, including rest, heat application, physical activity, dietary practices, over-the-counter medicines, prescribed treatment, or other self-care methods. However, inadequate knowledge about menstrual pain, misconceptions about effective self-management, fear of medication side effects, cultural beliefs, and limited awareness of when professional medical care is required may contribute to ineffective or inappropriate symptom-management practices. Menstrual pain education provides an opportunity to improve students' understanding of dysmenorrhea and promote safe and appropriate approaches to managing menstrual pain. Against this background, this study investigates the effect of menstrual pain education on menstrual pain self-management practices among female university students in Nigeria. The study will be anchored on the Health Belief Model, Social Cognitive Theory, and Self-Care Deficit Theory. The Health Belief Model explains how students' perceptions of the severity and impact of menstrual pain, perceived benefits of appropriate self-management, perceived barriers, self-efficacy, and cues to action may influence their management practices. Social Cognitive Theory emphasizes observational learning, behavioural modelling, self-efficacy, reinforcement, and environmental influences in shaping students' self-care behaviours. Self-Care Deficit Theory emphasizes individuals' ability to acquire knowledge and perform appropriate self-care activities to maintain health and manage health-related conditions. Collectively, these theoretical perspectives provide a suitable framework for explaining how menstrual pain education may influence menstrual pain self-management practices among female university students in Nigeria. The study will adopt a quantitative quasi-experimental or analytical cross-sectional research design. The study population will comprise female undergraduate students aged 18 years and above enrolled in selected public and private universities across Nigeria who experience menstrual pain. A multistage sampling technique will be used to select geopolitical zones, states, universities, faculties or departments, academic levels, and eligible students. Menstrual pain education will be assessed using indicators such as exposure to educational sessions, frequency and duration of education, knowledge of causes and types of menstrual pain, recognition of common symptoms, understanding of menstrual pain severity, appropriate use of heat therapy, physical activity and stretching, relaxation techniques, healthy dietary practices, appropriate use of over-the-counter pain medicines, awareness of medication precautions, menstrual tracking, recognition of warning signs, knowledge of when to seek professional healthcare, and awareness of available reproductive-health services. Menstrual pain self-management practices will be assessed using indicators such as use of appropriate non-pharmacological measures, appropriate use of pain-relief medicines, adherence to recommended medication instructions, use of heat application, physical activity or stretching, adequate rest, hydration, dietary practices, relaxation techniques, menstrual symptom tracking, avoidance of potentially harmful self-treatment methods, and timely consultation with healthcare professionals when pain is severe, persistent, or associated with concerning symptoms. Data will be collected using structured questionnaires, menstrual pain knowledge assessment tools, self-management practice scales, menstrual symptom records, and pre-test and post-test assessments where a quasi-experimental intervention is adopted. Descriptive statistics will be used to summarize students' demographic and academic characteristics, menstrual experiences, pain severity, previous sources of menstrual-health information, and self-management practices. Inferential statistical techniques, including chi-square tests, paired and independent t-tests, correlation analysis, and logistic or multiple regression analysis where appropriate, will be used to determine the effect of menstrual pain education on self-management practices. Where a quasi-experimental design is adopted, self-management practice scores before and after the educational intervention may be compared with those of a comparison group to determine changes associated with the intervention. Diagnostic tests will also be conducted to assess the reliability, validity, and robustness of the findings. The study is expected to find that menstrual pain education has a significant positive effect on menstrual pain self-management practices among female university students in Nigeria. Students exposed to structured and practical menstrual pain education are expected to demonstrate greater knowledge of appropriate symptom-management approaches and safer self-management practices than students without comparable exposure. Education may improve students' understanding of non-pharmacological measures such as heat application, physical activity, stretching, relaxation, adequate rest, and hydration, as well as the appropriate use and precautions associated with pain-relief medicines. It may also improve students' ability to recognize symptoms that require professional evaluation rather than relying exclusively on self-management. Practical demonstrations, menstrual-health counselling, scenario-based education, and access to reliable reproductive-health information may further strengthen students' confidence in managing menstrual pain appropriately. However, cultural beliefs, stigma surrounding menstruation, limited access to healthcare services, financial constraints, misinformation, fear of medication, academic demands, and normalization of severe menstrual pain may reduce the effectiveness of education alone. The study therefore expects accessible, evidence-based, practical, culturally appropriate, and sustained menstrual pain education to contribute significantly to improved menstrual pain self-management practices among female university students in Nigeria. The study is expected to contribute to the literature on menstrual health, dysmenorrhea, menstrual pain management, reproductive health, women's health, university student health, self-care practices, health education, health promotion, and public health in Nigeria. The findings will provide useful information to the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, Federal Ministry of Education, universities, university health centres, healthcare professionals, reproductive-health organizations, student health services, public health practitioners, development partners, and policymakers regarding strategies for improving menstrual health among young women. The study will also provide evidence-based recommendations for integrating menstrual pain education into university health programmes, strengthening reproductive-health education, improving access to appropriate menstrual pain management and healthcare services, increasing awareness of warning signs requiring professional assessment, reducing menstrual stigma, and developing sustainable health-education programmes that support safe menstrual pain self-management among female university students across Nigeria.

Keywords: Menstrual pain education, menstrual pain self-management practices, dysmenorrhea, female university students, menstrual health, reproductive health, women's health, self-care, health education, health promotion, Nigeria, public health.