Research Article
Menstrual Hygiene Management and School Absenteeism among Adolescents in Ghana: Results from a School-Based Cross-Sectional Study in a Rural Community
Table 1
Sociodemographic characteristics of adolescent schoolgirls.
| | Characteristics | Menstrual-related school absenteeism | Total (%) | | Yes (%) | No (%) |
| | Age group (years) | | | | | 10-13 | 7 (6.93) | 9 (6.04) | 16 (6.40) | | 14-16 | 50 (49.50) | 87 (58.39) | 137 (54.80) | | 17-19 | 44 (43.56) | 53 (35.57) | 97 (38.80) | | Age at menarche | | | | | 10-12 | 27 (26.73) | 46 (30.87) | 73 (29.20) | | 13-15 | 70 (69.31) | 101 (67.79) | 171 (68.40) | | 16-17 | 4 (3.96) | 2 (1.34) | 6 (2.40) | | Have television/radio | | | | | Yes | 57 (56.44) | 75 (50.34) | 132 (52.80) | | No | 44 (43.56) | 74 (49.66) | 118 (47.20) | | Earn money | | | | | Yes | 29 (28.71) | 37 (24.83) | 66 (26.40) | | No | 72 (71.29) | 112 (75.17) | 184 (73.60) | | Father’s occupation | | | | | Trader | 5 (4.95) | 11 (7.38) | 16 (6.40) | | Farmer | 71 (70.30) | 87 (58.39) | 158 (63.20) | | Formal sector employee | 1 (0.99) | 14 (9.40) | 15 (6.00) | | Unemployed | 14 (13.86) | 24 (16.11) | 38 (15.20) | | Othersa | 10 (9.90) | 13 (8.72) | 23 (9.20) | | Mother’s occupation | | | | | Trader | 23 (22.77) | 35 (23.49) | 58 (23.20) | | Farmer | 33 (32.67) | 37 (24.83) | 70 (28.00) | | Formal sector employee | 6 (5.94) | 15 (10.07) | 21 (8.40) | | Unemployed | 28 (27.72) | 51 (34.23) | 79 (31.60) | | Othersa | 11 (10.89) | 11 (7.38) | 22 (8.80) | | Receive money for sanitary pad | | | | | Yes | 38 (38.00) | 66 (44.30) | 104 (41.77) | | No | 62 (62.00) | 83 (55.70) | 145 (58.23) | | Summary of menstrual hygiene managementb | | | | | Good MHM | 52 (40.9) | 75 (59.06) | 127 (50.8) | | Poor MHM | 49 (39.8) | 74 (60.2) | 123 (49.2) |
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aOthers include tailor, daily labourer, butcher, imam, and mason. bChi-squared test: x2 = 0.0318, value = 0.858. MHM: menstrual hygiene management. |
