Skip to content
Research Article Open access CC BY 4.0

Exploring the Impacts of Menstrual-Pelvic Pain on School Activity in Rural Secondary School Girls

Sochima Johnmark Obiekwe, Ifeoma Priscillia Ezeugwunne, Onyeka Chukwudalu Ekwebene, Ifeanyi Emmanuel Nwaugochi, Gabriel Chidera Edeh, Ezenwa Robinson Modum, Christian Chukwunulu Nwoye, Iheohakara Franklin Okechukwu

Asian Journal of Medicine and Health · pp. 43–58 · Published 22 Jul 2023

10.9734/ajmah/2023/v21i10877

Abstract

Aims: Pelvic pain (PP) during menstruation (Dysmenorrhea) is one of the common complaints of women. menstruation has a great negative impact on the quality of life of women both psychologically, behavioural and social well-being. This study is to determine the prevalence of PP during menstruation among secondary school girls. Methodology: A cross-sectional study design conducted among female students at some selected high schools in Anambra state, South-eastern Nigeria in February 2023. A total of 392 study participants were recruited using a convenience sampling technique. A pretested self-administered structured questionnaire was employed. Microsoft excel and SPSS version 26 were used for data entry and analysis respectively. Results: 392 female adolescent high school students aged between 8-19 years old with a mean age at menarche 12.85±1.47 years. 58.9% reported having their menstrual bleeding lasting for 4 days. The prevalence of PP during menstruation was 86.31% with 29.90% with a numerical pain rating of 10. 39.20% reported taking painkillers gotten over the counter, 71.43% reported the pain affecting their activities in school, majority 32.7% don’t socialize with their classmate and 32.0% do not concentrate in classes. While 29.4% do not participate in school outdoor sports activities, 20.3% don’t participate in other school social activities. Statistically significant associations existed between PP during menses and age, age at menarche, bleeding length and bleeding intensity (p<0.05). The school participation of Participants with severe PP during menses were significantly affected (p=0.0001). Conclusion: PP during menstruation was highly prevalent in this study, and highly affected the students’ participation in school activities. The implication of this study highlights the importance of raising awareness, improving access to healthcare services, integrating menstrual health education into the curriculum, and adopting a multidisciplinary approach to support affected adolescents.

Menstrual pelvic pain school girls rural

References (31)

  1. 1 The Prevalence and Risk Factors of Dysmenorrhea [DOI]
  2. 2 Prevalence of menstrual pain in young women: what is dysmenorrhea? [DOI]
  3. 3 Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and hormonal contraceptives for pain relief from dysmenorrhea: a review [DOI]
  4. 4 Primary dysmenorrhea magnitude, associated risk factors, and its effect on academic performance: evidence from female university students in Ethiopia [DOI]
  5. 5 Factors Affecting Menstrual Cycle Characteristics [DOI]
  6. 6 Prevalence and impact of primary dysmenorrhea among Mexican high school students [DOI]
  7. 7 Prevalence, Impact, and Management Practice of Dysmenorrhea among University of Gondar Students, Northwestern Ethiopia: A Cross-Sectional Study [DOI]
  8. 8 A systematic review of the menstrual experiences of university students and the impacts on their education: A global perspective [DOI]
  9. 9 The Effect of aerobic exercise on primary dysmenorrhea: A clinical trial study [DOI]
  10. 10 Prevalence of primary dysmenorrhea, its intensity, impact and associated factors among female students’ at Gondar town preparatory school, Northwest Ethiopia [DOI]
  11. 11 Factors Associated with the Prevalence and Severity of Menstrual-Related Symptoms: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis [DOI]
  12. 12 Prevalence of primary dysmenorrhea and its effect on the quality of life amongst female medical students at King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia [DOI]
  13. 13 Menstrual Disorders in Adolescent School Girls in Enugu, Nigeria [DOI]
  14. 14 Age at Menarche and Factors that Influence It: A Study among Female University Students in Tamale, Northern Ghana [DOI]
  15. 15 The effect of combined oral contraceptives and age on dysmenorrhoea: an epidemiological study [DOI]
  16. 16 Dysmenorrhea and its effects on school absenteeism and school activities among adolescents in selected secondary schools in Ibadan, Nigeria [DOI]
  17. 17 Problems related to menstruation amongst adolescent girls [DOI]
  18. 18 Early age at menarche and its associated factors in school girls (age, 10 to 12 years) in Bangladesh: a cross-section survey in Rajshahi District, Bangladesh [DOI]
  19. 19 Age at menarche, menstrual characteristics, and its associated morbidities among secondary school students in Abakaliki, southeast Nigeria [DOI]
  20. 20 The Relationship between Age at Menarche and Primary Dysmenorrhea in Female Students of Shiraz Schools [DOI]
  21. 21 Knowledge of peri-menarcheal changes and a comparative analysis of the age at menarche among young adolescent school girls in urban and rural Cameroon [DOI]
  22. 22 Hormonal Contraceptive Treatment May Reduce the Risk of Fibromyalgia in Women with Dysmenorrhea: A Cohort Study [DOI]
  23. 23 Prevalence of Dysmenorrhea and its Contribution to School Absenteeism Among Nigerian Undergraduate Students [DOI]
  24. 24 DYSMENORRHEA AND PELVIC PAIN IN ADOLESCENTS [DOI]
  25. 25 Prevalence and correlates of dysmenorrhea among Nigerian college women [DOI]
  26. 26 Progesterone for Symptomatic Perimenopause Treatment - Progesterone politics, physiology and potential for perimenopause.
  27. 27 Exercise-induced endocrine pathologies [DOI]
  28. 28 Factors associated with early age at menarche among female secondary school students in Asmara: a cross-sectional study [DOI]
  29. 29 Menstrual Disorders In Adolescents [DOI]
  30. 30 Relationship between age at menarche and anthropometric profiles, demography, and ethnicity among adolescent girls in Nigeria [DOI]
  31. 31 A Study on the Prevalence of Dysmenorrhea and Its Relationship with Physical Activity among Young Adults

Cited by 4

Prevalence of dysmenorrhea and intention to seek care among in-school adolescents in Nigeria: a cross-sectional study

F. Fehintola, Temitayo A. Olaleke, Oluwatobi E. Joshua · International Journal of Reproduction Contraception Obstetrics and Gynecology · 2025

Showing 1 of 4 known citations — external sources report more than can currently be individually listed.

Related research

Article metrics

Real usage data collected on this platform.

0

Page views

0

PDF downloads

0

Outbound clicks

4

Citations

Views by country

Approximate, from request IP at view time — not citizenship or institution. Countries with fewer than 5 views are grouped as "Other".

No views recorded yet.

Traffic sources

Referring site, by host.

No traffic recorded yet.

Views and downloads exclude known bots/crawlers. Citations combines this platform's own DOI-resolved index with each external source's own reported total — see Cited by above for individually listed citing works. Last refreshed 0 seconds ago.