Effects of Interventions for Menstrual Health and Hygiene Management for Adolescent Girls: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

Abstract

Menstruation relates to women’s well-being, and menstrual health and hygiene are important. However, the effects of menstrual health and hygiene interventions remain unclear. This systematic review assessed the effects of menstrual health and hygiene interventions on adolescent girls and young women. Structured systematic searches were conducted using five databases from 5 August to 30 September 2022 with no restriction. We included individual-, cluster- and quasi-randomized controlled trials that assessedthe effects of menstrual health and hygiene interventions on the quality of life and social outcomes. Two researchers independently completed the screening process and assessed the risk of bias using the second version of the Cochrane risk of bias tool for randomized trials.Ten studies were described in 12 reports, and three ongoing studies were included. Five studies evaluated education interventions, one evaluated the distribution of menstrual products, and four assessed both. No study reported the quality of life. A small but non-significant positive impact on school attendance was found from the meta-analysis of four studies evaluating the distribution of sanitary products compared with no intervention (SMD = 0.23, 95%CI [-0.03, 0.48]). Although this study’s result should be used cautiously, menstrual health and hygiene interventions offer positive outcomes. Quality of life should be assessed as well. Morecomprehensive and innovative interventions and a rigorous research design are required, and nurses have an important role in education, practice and further research on this topic.