1. Evaluation of knowledge, attitude, practices and effectiveness of menstrual hygiene interventions in rural schools from Lilongwe, Malawi
- Author
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Russel Chidya, Olivia Kachuma, Tchaka Thole, Louis Banda, Mark Loewenberger, and Jennifer Nicholson
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Education ,Lilongwe ,Menstrual hygiene management ,Menstrual health and hygiene ,Water sanitation and hygiene ,Public aspects of medicine ,RA1-1270 - Abstract
Abstract Background Menstrual hygiene management (MHM) is associated with the menstrual process in women and adolescent girls who face cultural and financial challenges in rural areas of many developing countries. As part of the pilot study, we assessed the sustainability and effectiveness of the approaches and lessons learned from the MHM project intervention in rural areas of Lilongwe, Malawi. Methods Rural primary schools (n = 4) were purposively selected where an MHM intervention was implemented in Lilongwe, Malawi. The study employed a mixed-method research design. Assessments and data collection were performed through surveys of learners, literature reviews, key informant interviews (KIIs) (n = 90), and 20 focus group discussions (FGDs). The study participants included boys and adolescent girls (n = 100, 11–19 years; grades 5–8), teachers, mother groups, and community leaders from the selected schools. Results All the schools had water sanitation and hygiene facilities and latrines (45% improved, 54% ventilated improved pit latrines – VIPs) that promoted menstrual hygiene for adolescent girls. However, two of the schools studied (50%, n = 4) did not have separate washrooms for changing sanitary materials. There was a slight increase in latrine coverage in Kabuthu zone communities (90% at baseline versus 93.4% at midterm). However, the coverage dropped to 85.7% at the final evaluation, which was attributed to too much rain received in the area that damaged most of the latrines. There was a significant reduction (p
- Published
- 2024
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