title: Practices and perceptions of adolescent girls regarding the impact of dysmenorrhea on their routine life: a comparative study in the urban, rural, and slum areas of Chandigarh.
abstract: To estimate the prevalence, to compare the impact of dysmenorrhea on routine life among adolescent girls, to compare the practices and perceptions regarding Dysmenorrhea and to ascertain the reason for difference if any, a cross-sectional study was conducted in urban, rural and slum areas of Chandigarh, India. 300 girls in age group of 11-18 years, who had attained menarche were included in the study. A questionnaire including the Demographic and Family profile, menstrual history, Symptoms of Dysmenorrhea, Effect of pain on daily activities, Faces scale, Practices regarding Dysmenorrhea, Beliefs about menstruation was used. Analysis was done by percentage and chi square prevalance of dysmenorrhea was 61.33%. Sickness absenteeism due to dysmenorrhea was reported in 24.45% girls. Most common symptom experienced by the girls was stomach ache which was experienced by 139 girls; others symptoms experienced during menstruation were backache (107), and general body pain (80). Only 11.63% of the girls ever visited physician due to pain during menstruation. During menstruation only 10 girls use hot water bottle, 71 skip meal. Due to poor knowledge the practices were not optimal for pain management, which affected their school attendance. Formal as well as informal channels of communication, such as mothers and peers, need to be emphasized for the delivery of such information particularly linking instructions on menstrual hygiene to an expanded programme of health education in schools.
authors.forename: Alka
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Rani
authors.forename: Manoj Kumar
authors.initials: MK
authors.lastname: Sharma
authors.forename: Amarjeet
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Singh
mesh_terms: D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D003142:Communication; D000529:Complementary Therapies / Q000379:methods* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004412:Dysmenorrhea / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology* / Q000628:therapy; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D007194:India / Q000453:epidemiology; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D052576:Menstrual Hygiene Products / Q000145:classification / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D008598:Menstruation / Q000523:psychology*; D059408:Pain Management / Q000379:methods* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011204:Poverty Areas; D015995:Prevalence; D012423:Rural Health / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D018582:Sick Leave / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D013609:Taboo / Q000523:psychology; D014504:Urban Health / Q000706:statistics & numerical data