Factors Influencing Effective Menstrual Practices and Management among Girls in Kibera Slum, Kenya

Aims: The aim of the study was to assess menstrual hygiene practices and examine access to sanitary materials and facilities and how they influence effective menstrual practices and management among girls in Kibera slum Kenya. To achieve this cross-sectional study was conducted in mixed day secondary schools.

Methodology: A cross – sectional study design was adopted. Simple random was used to select 25% of public schools and 25% of private schools with a population of 1778 girls. Fisher’s sample size formula was used to select 384 respondents. The study was conducted in Kibera slums, Nairobi Kenya. Data on factors influencing effective menstrual practices and management among girls in Kibera slum was obtained through interviewer administered questionnaires. Chi-square test of independence, Pearson’s correlation analysis and multiple regression analysis were used using IBM® SPSS® Statistics 20.

Results: Menstrual management amongst the 355 secondary going girls in Kibera slums with a median age of 16 years was influenced by menstrual hygiene practices and access to sanitary materials and facilities. These two factors accounted for up to 75.3% as indicated in the regression model. Of the two factors access to sanitary facilities and materials had the greatest influence on menstrual management (β = 0.842 p < 0.05) while menstrual hygiene practices had the least effect (β = 0.089 p < 0.05).

Conclusion: Our study identified that menstrual hygiene practices and access to sanitary materials influenced effective menstrual practices and management among girls in Kibera.