Menstrual hygiene management practices and associated factors among primary school girls in Gakenke district, Rwanda

Menstruating girls encounter persistent social, cultural, and religious restrictions, alongside inadequate facilities at home and school, hindering effective menstrual hygiene management (MHM). In rural Rwanda, limited awareness and preparedness worsen these challenges. This study investigates MHM practices and associated factors among primary schoolgirls in the Gakenke District to inform targeted interventions.

An institution-based cross-sectional study of 384 primary school girls was conducted. A systematic sampling technique was used for recruiting participants. The data were collected using a structured questionnaire and were entered in Excel, which was subsequently sent to SPSS V. 25 for analysis. Bivariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were used to test associations. Two-tailed P-value < 0.05 was considered statistically significant.

The mean age of the study participants was 14 years (1.3 years). About one in ten (9.11%) school-aged girls in Gakenke District, Rwanda, had poor knowledge of MHM, 11.2% had negative attitudes toward MHM, and 14.3% had poor practices. The odds of good MHM practices were significantly greater among school girls who knew that their menstrual blood came from the uterus (AOR: 4.57; 95% CI: 1.62 to 12.89), who knew that menstruation is a monthly cycle (AOR: 2.86; 95% CI: 2.08 to 15.75), who received formal puberty or menstrual education (AOR: 2.18; 95% CI: 1.19 to 9.13), who knew that disposable and reusable pads are available on the market (AOR: 7.06; 95% CI: 5.37 to 18.58), who had good knowledge of MHM (AOR: 3.32; 95% CI: 1.87 to 21.05) and who had a positive attitude toward MHH (AOR: 11.44; 95% CI: 9.60 to 16.02).

Addressing poor MHM among young adolescents requires collaborative interventions, including stakeholder-led sensitization for formal puberty education, improved access to disposable and reusable pads, and initiatives that boost knowledge and foster positive attitudes toward menstruation.