Knowledge, Attitude and Practices towards Menstrual Hygiene among Government and Private School Girls KAP towards menstrual hygiene in school girls

Menstruation is a normal physiological process unique to females. Pre-menarche is characterized by physiological, cognitive, and psychological transitions which may be initiated from the midst of their second decade. The onset of puberty/ menstruation in girls tends to change their role in society. Overall inadequate awareness levels accompanied by socio-cultural taboos and prevailing myths and misconceptions about menarche and menstruation have played havoc on human society. Objective: To diagnose and compare the prevailing level ofknowledge, attitude, and practices of adolescent girls studying in government and private schoolstowards menstrual hygiene and management. Methods: This Analytical and cross-sectional study was conducted at Government Jouhar Girls High School and Shiblee Grammar School System, Gulberg Branch (private) Faisalabad. A self-administered survey-based questionnaire was developed. Prior formal written approval from school authorities was followed by the pre-planned scheduled visits, explaining the purpose of the study, assuring confidentiality of acquired information, and self-administration of survey-based questionnaires. Results: The results indicated that the mean age at menarches of the girls was 13.69±0.95 years. A relatively more percentage of government (59.6%) school respondents followed by private school respondents (57.1%) had satisfactory knowledge about their age of first menarche (p = 0.806). Motivated by the socio-cultural taboos and /or fear or shame a majority of government (59.6%) and private school respondents (57.1%) had satisfactory knowledge about their age of first menarche (p = 0.806). A strong prevalence of Urinary Tract Infection (UTI) was found in private school girls 87(49.2%) and 21(11.9%), followed by respective percentages of 78(43.8%), 16(9.0%) amongst the government school respondents who recorded their responses as agreed and strongly agreed about the development of reproductive tract infection in the post-menstruation period. As far as the adoption of hygienic practices is concerned a relatively high percentage of government school 28(15.7%) followed by private school 14(7.9%) girls strongly disagreed about changing their absorbent material on daily basis. The development of skin abrasions like rashes, itching, and urinary tract infection was found in a relatively high proportion amongst the government school girls 30(16.9%) followed by private school respondents 18(10.2%) in the post-menstruation period. A most common and alarming unhygienic practice prevalent amongst the government and private school girls was the reuse of absorbent cloth,   who responded as agreed and strongly agreed in respective terms as 43(24.2%),   22(12.4%), and 69(39%) and 28(15.8%).  Conclusions: The study concluded that the persistent myths, misconceptions, socio-cultural taboos, and unhygienic practices i.e. Use of old clothes as absorbent, reuse of absorbent material, and delaying tendency of changing absorbent,   amongst the adolescent school girls of government and private institutes which may pose direct adverse health and life quality concerns for the female Pakistani community. The current situation calls for active participatory contributions from education communities to initiate various communication and awareness campaigns regarding pre-menarche knowledge and menstruation management which may aid to strengthen and transform their role as a significant representative of society. 

Individual Conflicts, Abilities and Situational Forces As Redictor of Decision Making Behavior and Organizational Performance

This research work was performed to study the antecedents of individual decision making in the higher education sector of Pakistan and to examine the effects of such decisions on organizational performance. Specifically, eight theoretically driven and significant antecedents, including work-family conflict and interpersonal conflict as individual conflicts; leadership skills, emotional intelligence and self-efficacy as individual abilities; and time pressure, information level and risk as situational forces, were studied in relation to faculty decision making, which was measured in terms of rational, intuitive, dependant, avoidant and spontaneous decision-making styles employed by faculty members. In addition, the consequent effects of such faculty decision-making styles on organizational (University) performance were examined. Nine hypotheses (H1-H9) were formulated to test the theoretical model based on the relationships among individual conflicts, abilities, situational forces, decision-making styles and organizational performance in the higher education environment. The hypotheses were partially supported, except for one fully supported hypothesis (H4). The questionnaire method was utilized to collect data using quota sampling from a targeted sample that consisted of faculty members working in these higher education institutions (HEIs) of Pakistan. A total of 722 questionnaires were distributed to these faculty members, from which 516 valid questionnaires were returned, yielding a response rate of 72%. The survey results showed that individual conflicts are significant predictors of individual decision-making behavior because individual conflicts inversely predict rational and intuitive decision-making styles, resulting in higher usage of avoidant and spontaneous decision-making styles. Correspondingly, higher individual abilities resulted in more use of rational and intuitive decision making by faculty members, which made them less inclined towards avoidant and spontaneous decision making. Similarly, time pressure, information level and risk as situational forces were also found among the significant antecedents of individual decision-making styles. Likewise, faculty conflicts and situational forces were also found to be significant moderators for the relationships between faculty abilities and University performance. Such faculty decision-making styles also significantly contribute towards University performance and mediate the relationship of their antecedents and University performance. The significance and implications of the study findings are also discussed. These findings can be comprehensively utilized in the formulation of faculty development programs and for the betterment of the higher education institutions in Pakistan.