Effect of group-based training interventions on mothers’ knowledge about menstruation in the selected districts of Jimma zone: A controlled quasi-experimental study

Alemi K. Olika, Gurmesa T. Debelew, Zewdie Birhanu, Muluemebet A. Wordofa

Abstract

Menstrual health plays an important role in adolescent development; however, many girls in resource-constrained settings enter menarche with inadequate knowledge due to restricted access to information and the influence of prevailing social and cultural norms. Strengthening mothers' knowledge may provide an indirect but effective approach for improving menstrual awareness among adolescent girls. In Ethiopia, little evidence exists regarding interventions specifically designed to improve maternal knowledge of menstruation. This study therefore assessed the impact of group-based training on mothers’ knowledge, aiming to enhance understanding and dispel misconceptions. A quasi-experimental controlled study was conducted in Omo Nada and Shabe Sombo districts of Jimma Zone, Ethiopia, among 390 mothers of adolescent girls aged 10 to 19 years. One district received the intervention, while the other served as a comparison area. The intervention group participated in six structured sessions on menstrual health and hygiene, whereas the comparison group received routine health education. Data were collected using pre-tested questionnaires at baseline and endline and analyzed using multilevel mixed-effects logistic regression models to account for clustering within villages and kebeles. Following the intervention, the proportion of mothers with adequate menstrual knowledge increased from 46.7% to 99.5% in the intervention group. After adjusting for potential confounders and clustering effects, mothers in the intervention area were more than seven times as likely to have adequate menstrual knowledge compared with those in the comparison area (AOR = 7.55, 95% CI: 4.69-12.16). The findings suggest that a group-based, mother-focused educational intervention was associated with substantial improvements in maternal knowledge of menstruation. Such interventions may contribute to improving menstrual health literacy among mothers and, ultimately, support better menstrual health outcomes for adolescent girls.

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