title: The effects of educating mothers and girls on the girls' attitudes toward puberty health: a randomized controlled trial.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The attitude of a girl toward her menstruation and puberty has a considerable impact on her role during motherhood, social adjustment, and future marital life. This study was conducted in 2014 with the aim of comparing the effects of educating mothers and girls on the attitudes of adolescent girls of Tabriz City, Iran, towards puberty health.
  
  
  METHODS
  This randomized control clinical trial was conducted on 364 adolescent girls who experienced menstruation. Twelve schools were selected randomly among 107 secondary schools for girls. One-third of the students of each school were selected randomly using a table of random numbers and socio-demographic and each participant was asked to answer the attitude questionnaires. The schools were randomly allocated to the groups of mother's education, girl's education, and no-intervention. The attitude questionnaire was filled out by the participants again 2 months after intervention. The general linear model, in which the baseline values were controlled, was employed to compare the scores of the three groups after the intervention.
  
  
  RESULTS
  No significant differences were observed among the three groups in terms of the attitude score before intervention (p>0.05). Attitude score improvement after intervention in the girl's education group was significantly higher than the one of both mother's education (adjusted mean difference [AMD]: 1.8; [95% confidence interval (CI): 0.4-1.3]) and no-intervention groups (AMD: 1.3; [95% CI: 0.0-2.6]) by controlling the attitude score before intervention.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Based on the findings, it is more effective to educate girls directly about puberty health to improve adolescent girls' attitudes than educating mothers and asking them to transfer information to the girls. Nevertheless, studies with longer training period and follow-up are proposed to determine the effects of educating girls (through their mothers) on their attitudes about puberty health.
authors.affiliation: Student Research Committee, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz.
authors.forename: Atousa
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Afsari
authors.affiliation: Midwifery Department, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz.
authors.forename: Mojgan
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mirghafourvand
authors.affiliation: Nursing Department, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz.
authors.forename: Sousan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Valizadeh
authors.affiliation: Student Research Committee, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz.
authors.forename: Massomeh
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Abbasnezhadeh
authors.affiliation: Student Research Committee, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz.
authors.forename: Mina
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Galshi
authors.affiliation: Nursing Department, Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz.
authors.forename: Samira
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Fatahi
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000294:Adolescent Behavior; D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006266:Health Education / Q000379:methods; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D007492:Iran; D016014:Linear Models; D008598:Menstruation / Q000523:psychology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009035:Mothers / Q000193:education / Q000523:psychology*; D000297:Psychology, Adolescent; D011627:Puberty / Q000523:psychology*; D012574:Schools; D012741:Sexual Maturation; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
keywords: adolescent; attitude; education; puberty