Attitude Towards Menstrual Restrictions: An Exploration

Abstract

Introduction: Menstruation is a natural physiological process which signifies healthy female body but the beliefs and practices associated with it are culturally constructed. In our society prevailing socio-cultural notions consider menstruation as impure and malign and therefore justify the restrictions imposed on menstruating women.

Objectives: This study aims to investigate the current scenario of attitude towards menstrual restrictions and role of culture-specific factors affecting it.

Methods: It is considerable that there is no standardized tool to measure attitude towards menstrual restrictions. The researcher has tried to develop a questionnaire based on the data taken from interviews and previous studies. The questionnaire contains 25 items on seven-point (1= strongly agree to 7= strongly disagree) rating scale. The questionnaire has been circulated through Google forms and collected 334 responses. People of age ranging from 16 years to 52 years have participated in the study. Exploratory factor analysis has been utilized for extracting factors and validating the scale.

Results: The results indicate that the respondents have unfavorable attitude towards menstrual restrictions. Moreover, impact of sex, level of education, marital status, geographical demography and family type on attitude towards restrictions has also been assessed and further comparisons have been made between the levels within each demographic variable.

Conclusions: The study offers several policy recommendations useful for policy formulation.