Menstrual Cycle Pattern among Nursing Students Adolescent Girls

The most striking event in the whole process of girl puberty is the onset of menstruation. Menstruation remains as a normal physiological phenomenon throughout the childbearing years of the women. Adolescent girls frequently have difficulty assessing what constitutes normal menstrual cycles or patterns of bleeding.The aim of the study was to assess the menstrual cycle pattern among nursing students adolescent girls.Methodology: A descriptive cross-sectional study design was used to conduct the study in the academic year 2013/2014 among 280 post menarcheal adolescent girls aged 18-21 years. A self-administered questionnaire was used.Results: The students mean age was 19.38±0.67 years, their mean age at menarche was 13.05±1.48 years and 8.2% of the students had menstrual intervals of more than 35 days. The amount of menstrual blood flow was excessive in 2.1% of students; and 33.2% reported the rhythm of their menstruation was irregular. Menstruation-related abdominal pain was reported by 88% of the students; 73.9% were suffering from backache and 30.0% of them felt scared and crying as a reaction toward their menarche. More than half of the students change their perineal pads less frequently and take medication to overcome menstrual symptoms without prescription. Female family members and friends were the main sources of information about menstruation.Conclusion and Recommendation: This is a recent study on menstrual patterns among nursing students adolescent girls. There is a need for health education program about menarche and menstrual pattern during puberty, which can help design appropriate intervention strategies.