Risk assessment of menstrual problems among rural adolescent girls in Tamil Nadu, India

Introduction: Adolescence is a transition phase characterized by physical, physiological and psycho-social changes. The adolescents are a powerful human resource and they must be provided with the opportunity for holistic development in order to achieve their ambitions. In most rural areas, in India, the menstrual health of adolescent girls is often neglected. It is important to invest in the menstrual health of the adolescent girls, so as to ensure a healthy family in their adulthood. Most rural adolescent girls are silent sufferers of menstrual problems, owing to various socio-cultural taboos. This study was done to assess the risk factors of menstrual problems among rural school going adolescents in Tamil Nadu, India. Materials and Methods: A cross sectional study was done among 350 school going rural adolescent girls in Tamil Nadu. The participants were selected by simple random sampling and data regarding their menstrual history and nutritional status was assessed by BMI for age graphs for adolescents. Pallor was examined to assess the presence of anaemia. Results: The mean age of the participants was 14.7 years. Menstrual problems were present in 87.7% of the participants. Participants who attained menarche before 12 years of age were significantly at risk for dysmenorrhea and menorrhagia (p<0> Conclusion: It is evident that early menarche is a significant risk factor for menstrual problems. This calls for several longitudinal studies to explore the genetic, socioeconomic and nutritional factors that may influence the menarche.