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Impact of Menstrual Product Choice Education on Menstrual Hygiene Practices among Adolescent Girls in Nigeria

Abstract

Menstrual hygiene is an important component of adolescent girls' reproductive health, wellbeing, school participation, and quality of life. Appropriate menstrual hygiene practices can help reduce discomfort, improve confidence, support participation in daily activities, and promote healthy management of menstruation. However, adolescent girls in Nigeria may experience challenges related to inadequate knowledge of menstrual hygiene, limited access to affordable menstrual products, misconceptions about menstruation, cultural taboos, inadequate water and sanitation facilities, and uncertainty about selecting and using appropriate menstrual products. Menstrual product choice education provides an opportunity to equip adolescent girls with accurate information about available menstrual products, including disposable and reusable pads, tampons where appropriate, menstrual cups, period underwear, and other locally available options. Education can address product characteristics, correct use, changing frequency, hygiene requirements, safe storage, disposal, cleaning of reusable products, and factors to consider when selecting products according to individual needs and circumstances. Against this background, this study investigates the impact of menstrual product choice education on menstrual hygiene practices among adolescent girls in Nigeria. The study will be anchored on the Health Belief Model, Social Cognitive Theory, and Health Promotion Model. The Health Belief Model explains how girls' perceptions of menstrual health risks, perceived benefits of appropriate menstrual hygiene, perceived barriers, and cues to action may influence their hygiene practices and product choices. Social Cognitive Theory emphasizes knowledge, self-efficacy, observational learning, social support, and environmental factors in the development and maintenance of appropriate menstrual hygiene behaviours. The Health Promotion Model emphasizes individual experiences, perceived benefits and barriers, interpersonal influences, and behavioural factors that influence health-promoting practices. Collectively, these theoretical perspectives provide a suitable framework for explaining how menstrual product choice education may influence menstrual hygiene practices among adolescent girls in Nigeria. The study will adopt a quantitative analytical cross-sectional or quasi-experimental research design. The study population will comprise adolescent girls, generally aged 10–19 years, enrolled in selected secondary schools across Nigeria. A multistage sampling technique will be used to select states, local government areas, communities, schools, classes, and eligible adolescent girls. Menstrual product choice education will be assessed using indicators such as exposure to menstrual health education, knowledge of available menstrual products, characteristics of different products, correct product use, product-changing frequency, hygiene requirements, disposal methods, cleaning and storage of reusable products, product safety, affordability considerations, and guidance received from teachers, healthcare workers, parents, or other trained educators. Menstrual hygiene practices will be assessed using indicators such as frequency of changing menstrual products, appropriate handwashing, safe product use, proper disposal or cleaning of reusable products, access to clean water and sanitation facilities, maintenance of menstrual hygiene during school hours, safe storage of menstrual products, management of menstrual discomfort, and appropriate product selection based on individual circumstances. Data will be collected using structured questionnaires and validated menstrual hygiene knowledge and practice assessment tools where appropriate, together with relevant school health programme records. Descriptive statistics will be used to summarize participants' characteristics, exposure to menstrual product choice education, and menstrual hygiene practices. Inferential statistical techniques, including chi-square tests, t-tests, correlation analysis, and logistic or multiple regression analysis where appropriate, will be used to determine the impact of menstrual product choice education on menstrual hygiene practices. Where a quasi-experimental design is adopted, menstrual hygiene practice scores before and after exposure to structured product-choice education may be compared, while relevant socioeconomic, educational, household, cultural, and environmental factors are appropriately controlled. Diagnostic tests will also be conducted to assess the reliability, validity, and robustness of the findings. The study is expected to find that menstrual product choice education has a significant positive impact on menstrual hygiene practices among adolescent girls in Nigeria. Girls who receive structured and age-appropriate education are expected to demonstrate improved knowledge of menstrual products and better hygiene practices than girls with limited or no exposure to such education. Education may help girls select products that are appropriate for their individual needs, understand correct usage and changing practices, maintain appropriate hygiene, and safely dispose of or clean menstrual products. Practical and culturally sensitive education may also reduce misconceptions and embarrassment surrounding menstruation and improve girls' confidence in managing their menstrual periods. However, limited household resources, unaffordable menstrual products, inadequate water and sanitation facilities, school infrastructure limitations, cultural restrictions, and limited availability of trained educators may reduce the effectiveness of education alone. The study therefore expects accessible, practical, culturally appropriate, and comprehensive menstrual product choice education to contribute significantly to improved menstrual hygiene practices among adolescent girls in Nigeria. The study is expected to contribute to the literature on menstrual product choice education, menstrual hygiene practices, adolescent reproductive health, menstrual health, school health, girls' wellbeing, water sanitation and hygiene, and public health in Nigeria. The findings will provide useful information to the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, Federal Ministry of Education, state ministries of health and education, schools, primary healthcare centres, adolescent health programmes, women's health organizations, development partners, and policymakers regarding strategies for improving menstrual health among adolescent girls. The study will also provide evidence-based recommendations for integrating menstrual product education into school health programmes, developing age-appropriate and culturally sensitive educational materials, training teachers and healthcare workers, improving access to affordable menstrual products, strengthening water and sanitation facilities in schools, and promoting comprehensive menstrual health education among adolescent girls across Nigeria.

Keywords: Menstrual product choice education, menstrual hygiene practices, adolescent girls, menstrual health, menstrual hygiene, reproductive health, school health, menstrual products, adolescent health, Nigeria, public health.