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Impact of Reusable Menstrual Pad Education on Reusable Menstrual Pad Use among Female Secondary School Students in Nigeria

Abstract

Menstrual hygiene management is an important component of adolescent girls' health, dignity, school participation, and wellbeing. Female secondary school students in Nigeria may experience challenges in managing menstruation because of limited access to affordable menstrual products, inadequate menstrual health education, poor water and sanitation facilities, cultural stigma, embarrassment, and misconceptions about menstrual hygiene. Reusable menstrual pads may provide a potentially affordable and sustainable menstrual product option when they are appropriately selected, used, washed, dried, stored, and replaced. However, inadequate knowledge about reusable menstrual pads, concerns about cleanliness, fear of infection, uncertainty about correct washing and drying procedures, and social perceptions may discourage their use. Reusable menstrual pad education provides an opportunity to improve students' knowledge, practical skills, and confidence regarding appropriate use and care of reusable menstrual products. Against this background, this study investigates the impact of reusable menstrual pad education on reusable menstrual pad use among female secondary school students in Nigeria. The study will be anchored on the Health Belief Model, Social Cognitive Theory, and Social Ecological Model. The Health Belief Model explains how students' perceptions of the benefits and barriers of reusable menstrual pads, perceived risks of poor menstrual hygiene, self-efficacy, and cues to action may influence their menstrual product choices and use. Social Cognitive Theory emphasizes observational learning, practical demonstrations, behavioural modelling, self-efficacy, reinforcement, and environmental influences in shaping menstrual hygiene behaviours. The Social Ecological Model highlights the influence of individual, family, school, community, cultural, economic, and environmental factors on menstrual product access and use. Collectively, these theoretical perspectives provide a suitable framework for explaining how reusable menstrual pad education may influence reusable menstrual pad use among female secondary school students in Nigeria. The study will adopt a quantitative quasi-experimental or analytical cross-sectional research design. The study population will comprise female secondary school students aged 12 years and above who have attained menarche and are enrolled in selected public and private secondary schools across Nigeria. A multistage sampling technique will be used to select geopolitical zones, states, local government areas, communities, schools, classes, and eligible students. Reusable menstrual pad education will be assessed using indicators such as exposure to menstrual-product education sessions, frequency and duration of education, knowledge of reusable menstrual pads, correct pad placement, recommended changing practices, washing procedures, use of appropriate soap or cleaning materials, thorough rinsing, hygienic drying, safe storage, appropriate reuse, replacement of damaged or excessively worn pads, recognition of signs of poor hygiene or irritation, menstrual tracking, and appropriate disposal when reusable pads are no longer suitable for use. Reusable menstrual pad use will be assessed using indicators such as adoption of reusable menstrual pads, frequency of use, consistency of use during menstruation, correct application, appropriate changing practices, proper washing, hygienic drying, safe storage, appropriate reuse, maintenance of clean menstrual products, and continued use where the product is suitable and acceptable to the student. Data will be collected using structured questionnaires, menstrual hygiene knowledge assessment tools, reusable-pad practice checklists, practical demonstrations, menstrual product-use records or diaries where appropriate, and pre-test and post-test assessments where a quasi-experimental intervention is adopted. Descriptive statistics will be used to summarize students' demographic and socioeconomic characteristics, menstrual experiences, access to menstrual products, menstrual hygiene knowledge, school sanitation conditions, and reusable menstrual pad 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 impact of reusable menstrual pad education on reusable menstrual pad use. Where a quasi-experimental design is adopted, reusable-pad use indicators 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 reusable menstrual pad education has a significant positive impact on reusable menstrual pad use among female secondary school students in Nigeria. Students exposed to structured, practical, and age-appropriate education are expected to demonstrate greater knowledge, confidence, and appropriate use of reusable menstrual pads than students without comparable exposure. Practical demonstrations may improve students' ability to correctly use, wash, dry, store, and maintain reusable menstrual pads and may reduce concerns about cleanliness and safety. Education may also promote informed menstrual-product choices and help students understand the importance of maintaining appropriate menstrual hygiene while using reusable products. However, limited access to water and sanitation facilities, lack of private washing and drying spaces, household preferences, cultural beliefs, menstrual stigma, concerns about privacy, social acceptance, affordability, and inadequate school sanitation infrastructure may reduce the effectiveness of education alone. The study therefore expects accessible, practical, culturally appropriate, and sustained reusable menstrual pad education, supported by adequate water, sanitation, hygiene facilities, and supportive school environments, to contribute significantly to improved reusable menstrual pad use among female secondary school students in Nigeria. The study is expected to contribute to the literature on menstrual hygiene management, reusable menstrual products, menstrual health education, adolescent girls' health, school health, reproductive health, water sanitation and hygiene, menstrual product access, 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, state ministries of health and education, secondary schools, school health personnel, community health workers, women's and adolescent-health organizations, development partners, and policymakers regarding strategies for improving menstrual hygiene management among adolescent girls. The study will also provide evidence-based recommendations for integrating reusable menstrual product education into school health programmes, strengthening practical menstrual hygiene education, improving access to water and sanitation facilities, addressing menstrual stigma and misconceptions, supporting informed menstrual-product choices, and developing sustainable school-based menstrual health programmes for female secondary school students across Nigeria.

Keywords: Reusable menstrual pad education, reusable menstrual pad use, menstrual hygiene management, female secondary school students, adolescent girls, menstrual health, menstrual hygiene, school health, reproductive health, water sanitation and hygiene, Nigeria, public health.