Abstract :
Introduction: Adolescents comprise one-fifth of the Indian population.1 Adolescent girls represent one of the most vulnerable sections of the society. Their felt needs pertaining to routine health problems remain unaddressed. Objective: To ascertain the level of understanding, information needs and practices of rural and urban adolescent girls of Chandigarh about puberty-related health and nutrition problems. Methods: It was a cross-sectional study with a sample size of 120 girls (30 from each of the two schools of urban area and two schools of rural area, U.T. Chandigarh). Multi-stage sampling was done. Data was collected by means of a self-administered, structured questionnaire constituting elements on level of information regarding puberty, nutrition and related health problems, practices and needs. Data analysis was done through Epidata and SPSS statistical software. Results: Many respondents (43.3%) reported menstruation as the most disturbing factor followed by changes in body shape (e.g. appearance of pubic hair) and size. Some (28.3% rural and 40% urban girls) reported the problem of acne while fatty body was major problem for rural girls. Excess facial hair growth was also reported by many (21.7% urban and 6.7% rural) girls. More than 70% girls experienced pain during menstruation. Hygienic practices including usage and disposal of sanitary pads were found to be adequate. Conclusion: Hygienic practices and usage of sanitary pads was found to be adequate but the girls got disturbed due to various puberty-related health problems. There were many lifestyle issues that existed among the respondents such as lack of physical activity, obesity, acne, facial hair growth, dysmenorrhea, irregular menses, etc. Also some girls were suffering from low self-esteem due to the above cited problems. Recommendation: A lot has been done on menstruation, its awareness and hygiene. Now, the time is to focus on associated issues and problems.
Keyword :
Adolescent health, Puberty, Menstruation, Changing body shape, Personal hygiene, Nutrition