Sanitary Pad Interventions for Girls' Education in Ghana: A Pilot Study

Domain:

educationhealthcare

Record type:

paper

Creator:

PauCaiCatSue

Host:

Background

Increased education of girls in developing contexts is associated with a number of important positive health, social, and economic outcomes for a community. The event of menarche tends to coincide with girls' transitions from primary to secondary education and may constitute a barrier for continued school attendance and performance. Following the MRC Framework for Complex Interventions, a pilot controlled study was conducted in Ghana to assess the role of sanitary pads in girls' education.

Methods

A sample of 120 schoolgirls between the ages of 12 and 18 from four villages in Ghana participated in a non-randomized trial of sanitary pad provision with education. The trial had three levels of treatment: provision of pads with puberty education; puberty education alone; or control (no pads or education). The primary outcome was school attendance.

Results

After 3 months, providing pads with education significantly improved attendance among participants, (lambda 0.824, F = 3.760, p<.001). After 5 months, puberty education alone improved attendance to a similar level (M = 91.26, SD = 7.82) as sites where pads were provided with puberty education (Rural M = 89.74, SD = 9.34; Periurban M = 90.54, SD = 17.37), all of which were higher than control (M = 84.48, SD = 12.39). The total improvement through pads with education intervention after 5 months was a 9% increase in attendance. After 3 months, providing pads with education significantly improved attendance among participants. The changes in attendance at the end of the trial, after 5 months, were found to be significant by site over time. With puberty education alone resulting in a similar attendance level.

Conclusion

This pilot study demonstrated promising results of a low-cost, rapid-return intervention for girls' education in a developing context. Given the considerable development needs of poorer countries and the potential of young women there, these results suggest that a large-scale cluster randomized trial is warranted.

Trial Registration

Pan African Clinical Trials Registry PACTR201202000361337

Visit

figshare.com

Licenses

CC BY 4.0

Menstruation and the cycle of poverty: A cluster quasi-randomised control trial of sanitary pad and puberty education provision in Uganda

Background Poor menstrual knowledge and access to sanitary products have been pr

Effects of Sanitary Pad Distribution and Reproductive Health Education on Primary School Attendance and Reproductive Health Knowledge and Attitudes in Kenya: A Cluster Randomized Controlled Trial

Abstract Background: Adolescent girls’ risk of school dropout and reproductive health (R

Education for Women and Girls with Disabilities in Ghana : A Powerful Tool for Change

Women with disabilities (WWD) from countries around the world, including Ghana, are often deprived o

Cool Roofs in Northern Ghana: Results From a Pilot Study

This report shares findings from a pilot study involving a 'cool roof' retrofit intervention in the

Building Education Resilience for Girls in Kenya

Education disruptions caused by poverty, insecurity and negative traditional practices in rural comm

Study protocol for a pilot quasi-experimental study on oral health education for nurses and community health workers in Nigeria

Introduction The primary health care system provides an ideal setting for the integration of oral h