A Descriptive Study on Cultural Practices about Menarche and Menstruation

Soumya; Sequira Leena

doi:10.1055/s-0040-1708631

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Original Article

6 (

); 10-13

doi:

10.1055/s-0040-1708631

A Descriptive Study on Cultural Practices about Menarche and Menstruation

Soumya¹, Sequira Leena^2,

1Assistant Lecturer, Department of Medical Surgical Nursing, Manipal College of Nursing, Manipal University, Manipal, Karnataka, India

2Assistant Professor, Department of Medical Surgical Nursing, Manipal College of Nursing, Manipal University, Manipal, Karnataka, India

Corresponding Author: Sequira Leena Assistant Professor, Department of Medical Surgical Nursing, Manipal College of Nursing Manipal. Manipal University, Manipal. Karnataka, India, E-mail: leenacliff@yahoo.co.in, E-mail: leena.sequ@manipal.edu

Received: 2015-5-4, Accepted: 2016-5-14, Epub ahead of print: 2020-04-22, Published: 2020-04-22

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This is an open access article published by Thieme under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, permitting unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction so long as the original work is properly cited.

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This article was originally published by Thieme Medical and Scientific Publishers Private Ltd. and was migrated to Scientific Scholar after the change of Publisher.

Abstract

A descriptive study on cultural practices about menarche and menstruation was done with the objective to identify the cultural practices related to menarche and menstruation among women and to compare the difference in the cultural practices of different religions. A survey approach was used and subjects aged 18years and above were included in the study. Data were collected using demographic proforma and practice questionnaire on menarche and menstruation. Findings of the study revealed that 37% of the sample celebrates menarche and th 13% of the sample offered special pooja after 7^th day of menarche.83% of the sample does not offer pooja/namaz and visit temple during menstruation. 68% of the sample do not apply kumkum which is offered to God. Hindus practice different practices like not applying the kumkum (100%) which is offered to God, do not visit temples (100%), enter the pooja room (92%), attend the religious functions (100%). where as Christians are not following any practices and Muslims (100%) cut nails, shave private part and are not doing namaz for seven days.

Conclusion

The findings of the present study revealed that majority of the Hindus believe that menstruation is unclean and they follow different practices.

Keywords

Menarche and menstruation

cultural practices

religion

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Introduction

Menarche (Greek: moon + beginning) is the first menstrual cycle, or first menstrual bleeding, in female human beings. From both social and medical perspectives it is often considered the central event of female puberty, as it signals the possibility of fertility. Girls experience menarche at different ages. The timing of menarche is influenced by female biology, as well as genetic and environmental factors, especially nutritional factors. Menarche is celebrated in many cultures around the world as a rite of passage, a time to recognize that a girl is moving into womanhood

In some parts of India when a girl has menarche, her parents invite close friends and relatives for a party to celebrate the new young women. In some communities, young women are given a special menarche ceremony called Ruthu Sadangu⁵. Adolescence is a period of extreme stress and strain. Menarche and menstruation are bound to elicit tremendous psychological and social response in them. Menstruation is still regarded as something unclean and dirty in Indian society. The reaction to menstruation depends upon awareness and knowledge about the subject. Although menstruation is a natural process, it is linked with several misconceptions and practices which sometime result into adverse health outcome. Increased knowledge about menstruation right from childhood may escalate safe practices and may help in mitigating and suffering of millions of women. The present study was undertaken to elicit information about practices regarding menstruation among women and to compare the difference in the cultural practices of different religions

Materials and Methods

A descriptive survey was used to find the cultural practices related to menarche and menstruation among women in Udupi district, Karnataka. Objectives of the study were to identify the cultural practices related to menarche and menstruation among women and to compare the difference in the cultural practices of different religions. Convenient sampling technique was used to select samples of 100. Tools used to collect the data were demographic proforma and cultural practices during menstruation.

The study proposal was approved by the Institutional Ethics Committee. Written informed consent was taken from all the subjects. Tools used for data collection were demographic proforma which includes total 6 items, Cultural practices during menstruation tool consisted of 22 items on cultural practices. Tools were validated by five experts in the field of Medical Surgical Nursing and sociology. Reliability of the tool is done by test retest method (r=1). Pilot study was done Panchanabettu village, Udupi District and the study was found feasible. Descriptive statistics frequency and percentage was used to compute the results.

Results

Findings of the study reveals that most of the sample (48%) belongs to the age group of 20-30 years. Among them 71% were Hindus and 17% were Christians. 60% of them married. With regard to their education majority 52 % studied below 10^th standard and 41% above 10^th. Majority 63% of them were not celebrating menarche and 87% of them were not offering pooja after menarche (Table 1).

Table 1 Tablel -Description of sample characteristics n=100

Sl. no	Variable	Frequency(f)	Percentage(%)
1. Age in years
			20–30	48	48
			30–40	26	26
			40–50	26	26
2. Religion
			Hindu	71	71
			Christian	17	17
			Muslim	12	12
3. Marital status
			Married	60	60
			Unmarried	40	40
4. Educational Qualification
Illiterate	7	7
Below 10^th	52	52
Above 10^th	41	41
5. Menarche celebration
Yes	37	37
No	63	63
6. Offering pooja after menarche
Yes	13	13
No	87	87

The major findings of the cultural practices were 82% of them were not offering pooja during menstruation. Majority (83%) of them were not visiting temples. Majority (71%) of them were not attending marriage and other functions. Majority (66%) of them were taking special food items during menstruation, Majority of them were not applying the kumkum (100%) which is offered to God, don't enter the pooja room (65%), were not wearing new clothes (47%), were not wearing flowers which is offered to God (61%), were not celebrating festivals (62%), Sleeping in a separate room (41%), using separate bed sheet (40%) (Table 2)

Table 2 Practices during menstruation n7equals;100

S.No	Cultural practice	Yes	If no mention days
			1	2	3	4	5	6	7
1	Offering Pooja/ Namaz	18					69		13
2	Visiting temples (Muslims - don’t go to Mosque)	17					69		2
3	Attending marriage or other functions	29			38	3	30
4	Having special food items during menstruation	34	66
5	Entry into the kitchen	62			22		16
6	Cooking food	64			20		16
7	Take head bath on 1^st and 3^rd day of menstruation	83	17
8	Touching others	61			21		18
9	Talking to religious leaders	96	4
10	Applying kumkum	32			7		60		1
11	Eating prasadam	56			12		32
12	Touching well/or drawing water from well	42			36	16	6
13	Entering into pooja room	35			29		35		1
14	Talking to men	100
15	Milking (Cows)	100
16	Working in field/ farm	100
17	Wearing new clothes	53			44		3
18	Wearing flowers	39			38	16	6		1
19	Touching diseased person	76			22		2
20	Touching children	66			16	16	2
21	Celebrating festivals	38			41		21
22	Cleaning yourself after menstruation (cutting nails, removing hairs of private parts)	12	88

The data presented in table 3 shows that during menstruation majority of the Hindus were not offering pooja (98.59%). The cultural practices like visiting temples, not applying the kumkum which is offered to God, not attending marriage or other functions, don't attend the religious functions were followed by all the Hindus (100%), don't enter the pooja room (92%),. Were not wearing new clothes (66.19), were not wearing flowers(85.91), were not celebrating festivals Sleeping in a separate room(57.74%), using separate bed sheet (56.33%) where as Christians are not following any practices and Muslims (100%) cut nails, shave private part and are not doing namaz for seven days.

Table 3 Comparison of cultural practices of different religions n=100

S.No	Cultural practices	Hindu n=71		Muslim n=12		Christian n=17
		Yes	No	Yes	No	Yes	No
1	Offering Pooja/ Namaz	1	70	0	12	17	0
2	Visiting temples/Mosque/Church	0	71	0	12	17	0
3	Attending marriage or other functions	0	71	12	0	17	0
4	Having special food items during menstruation	34	37	0	12	17	0
5	Entry into the kitchen	62	9	12	0	17	0
6	Cooking food	64	7	12	0	17	0
7	Take head bath on 1^st and 3^rd day of menstruation	71	0	12	0	17	0
8	Touching others	44	27	12	0	17	0
9	Talking to religious leaders	71	0	8	4	17	0
10	Applying kumkum	32	39	NA	NA	NA	NA
11	Eating prasadam	56	15	NA	NA	NA	NA
12	Touching well/or drawing water from the well	42	29	12	0	17	0
13	Entering into pooja room	6	65	0	12	17	0
14	Wearing new clothes	24	47	12	0	17	0
15	Wearing flowers	10	61	12	0	17	0
16	Touching a person with any diseased	47	24	12	0	17	0
17	Touching children	37	34	12	0	17	0
18	Celebrating festivals	9	62	12	0	17	0
19	Cleaning yourself after menstruation	0	71	12	0	0	17
20	Sleeping in a separate room	41	30	0	12	0	17
21	Using separate bed sheet	40	31	0	12	0	17
22	Using separate vessel for eating and drinking	35	36	0	12	0	17
23	Use of cow dung for cleaning the places used by menstruating women	25	46	0	12	0	17

Discussion

The present study found that the majority (82%) of them are not offering pooja during menstruation. Majority (71%) of them not visiting temples, not attending marriage and other functions.

The study findings supported by a study which was conducted to investigate the Cultural and Social Practices regarding Menstruation among Adolescent Girls. The study was conducted on 117 adolescent girls (age 11-20 years) and 41 mothers from various communities and classes in Ranchi comprising residential colonies and urban slums. The study findings shows that 45.5% of the slum girls reported that they face social restrictions like not going to the neighborhood and not playing or talking with boys³.

A study on Perceptions and Practices Regarding Menstruation: A Comparative Study in Urban and Rural Adolescent Girls shows about 23.4% of urban girls and 35.1% of rural girls had restrictions on type of clothing⁶.

Conclusion

The findings of the present study revealed that majority of the Hindus believe that menstruation is unclean and they follow different practices.

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