Development and Evaluation of "Period Kits" for Adolescents with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities: An...

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Health
• Disability Studies
• Menstrual Health Education

Background:

• Children with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) face significant unmet medical needs and lower care satisfaction.
• A lack of evidence-based resources exists to prepare children with IDD for menarche (first menstruation).

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the efficacy of custom "period kits" in reducing anxiety and improving menarche preparedness for children with IDD.
• To assess the impact of these kits on knowledge and family discussions regarding menstruation.

Main Methods:

• An embedded mixed methods study involving nine child-adult family pairs.
• Participants received custom "period kits" containing educational materials and period management items.
• Pre- and post-kit surveys and thematic analysis of feedback were used to evaluate efficacy.

Main Results:

• Children with IDD demonstrated limited baseline knowledge about menstruation and puberty.
• Post-kit exposure, participants showed improved knowledge and increased interhousehold discussions about periods.
• Negative perceptions and hesitancy regarding menstruation conversations were reduced.

Conclusions:

• Custom "period kits" show promise in enhancing menstrual knowledge and facilitating family communication for children with IDD.
• These kits can be a valuable tool for addressing the educational gap in menstrual health for this population.
• Further research with larger sample sizes is recommended due to the study's qualitative nature and small scale.