Year: 2026 | Month: March | Volume: 16 | Issue: 3 | Pages: 91-99
DOI: https://doi.org/10.52403/ijhsr.20260311
Menstrual Hygiene Practices and Government Programme Awareness Among Adolescent Girls in Rural Bareilly: A Cross-Sectional Study
Manvi Singh1, Mukul Maheshwari2, Yetnder Singh Patel3, Rakesh Kumar4
1Junior Resident 2, Department of Community Medicine, Rajshree Medical Research Institute, Bareilly, U.P., India.
2Assistant Professor, Department of Community Medicine, Rajshree Medical Research Institute, Bareilly, U.P., India.
3Senior Resident, Department of Community Medicine, Rajshree Medical Research Institute, Bareilly, U.P., India.
4Head and Professor, Department of Community Medicine, Rajshree Medical Research Institute, Bareilly, U.P., India.
Corresponding Author: Dr. Manvi Singh
ABSTRACT
Background: Adolescence marks a pivotal phase during which girls begin menstruating and must acquire knowledge about appropriate hygiene. In rural India, however, adoption of safe menstrual hygiene management (MHM) practices continues to be suboptimal, with implications for reproductive health, school participation, and overall quality of life.
Objectives: To characterise menstrual hygiene behaviours and evaluate the extent of awareness regarding government-led MHM programmes among school-going adolescent girls residing in a rural block of Bareilly, Uttar Pradesh.
Methods: A community-based cross-sectional study was carried out in Meerganj block, Bareilly, enrolling 274 adolescent girls aged 10 to 19 years through cluster sampling from two randomly selected schools. The validated Menstrual Practices Questionnaire version 1.1 (MPQ v1.1) served as the primary data collection instrument, supplemented by questions on socio-demographic background and government scheme awareness. Associations were examined using the chi-square test.
Results: Disposable sanitary pad use was reported by 78.8% of girls at home and 87.9% at school. Significant determinants of material choice included maternal education (p<0.001), awareness of government programmes (p<0.001), information source (p<0.001), and cultural constraints (p<0.001). Nearly two-thirds (66.4%) dried reusable materials in concealed locations. Awareness of any government menstrual health initiative was present in only 41.2% of participants.
Conclusion: While disposable pad uptake is encouraging, critical gaps remain in hand hygiene, genital care, disposal, and sterilisation of reusable materials. Maternal literacy and programme exposure are key determinants of better practice. Low government scheme awareness underscores the urgency for structured school-based menstrual health education and more effective community outreach.
Key words: Menstrual hygiene, Adolescent girls, Sanitary pads, Periods, Hygiene Practices, MPQ