Razi International Medical Journal

Knowledge and practice of menstrual hygiene among adolescent girls in secondary schools of Herat, Afghanistan

2021-06-11T06:00:55+00:00

Background: The experience of menarche is often confusing and causes ambivalence among adolescent girls due to their lack of information on the menstruation cycle and menstrual vaginal bleeding. This study aimed to assess the knowledge and practice of menstruation and menstruation hygiene in Afghanistan.

Methods: This is a cross-sectional study using a survey questionnaire administered from 10 March 2021 to 15 April 2021 among secondary school girls in Herat, Afghanistan. It evaluated their knowledge of menstruation and menstrual hygiene practices. 768 girls responded to the survey. Data was encoded and statistically analysed using SPSS.

Results: 53.3% of girls surveyed had a good knowledge of menstruation and menstrual hygiene. 15.9% of girls surveyed who did not experience menarche showed a good knowledge score. In terms of practice, 32.9% took a rest and missed school during menstrual bleeding. 2.1% of the participants mentioned that teachers were the first source of information on menstruation and menstrual hygiene.

Conclusion: Knowledge of menstruation and menstrual hygiene among girls surveyed was lower than in other countries. Awareness campaigns regarding menstruation and menstrual hygiene are recommended. It is suggested to add a subject on these for secondary school girls to learn more and encourage them to openly discuss among themselves.

Validity and reliability of the Dari version of the CES-D scale among the general population of Herat, Afghanistan: A methodological study

2022-02-03T00:17:47+00:00

Background: Depression is considered one of the significant pressing public health problems globally. The Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression (CES-D) scale is valuable for assessing subthreshold depression. The purpose of this study was to investigate various aspects of the CES-D scale's validity and reliability in the Afghan population.

Method: This methodological study was conducted between 6th June 2021 and 12th July 2021 among the general population in the Herat province of Afghanistan. A total of 424 participants filled out the questionnaires provided to them. The forward-backward translation method translated the CES-D scale into the Dari language. The data was statistically analyzed using IBM SPSS version 24.0 and AMOS version 24.0 software for Windows. Exploratory (EFA) and confirmatory factor analysis were used to assess the factor structure (CFA). The reliability was assessed by Cronbach’s alpha, inter-item correlation, and total item correlation.

Result: The exploratory factor analysis resulted in three factors (Depressed affect & Somatic complaints factor, the Interpersonal factor, and the Positive affect factor). The CFA result suggested that the resulted model of the Dari version of the CES-D scale with 19 items was the best fit for our data. The Cronbach’s alpha for the 19 items scale was 0.874.

Conclusion: The results of this study show that the Dari version of the CES-D scale is valid and reliable to use among the general population of Herat province of Afghanistan. The scale can assess depression and its symptoms among the population mentioned above with confidence.

The re-emergence of Melioidosis in the United States amid COVID-19

2022-03-30T19:31:51+00:00

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A call for joint action is urgently required in Middle East countries due to prolonged school closures/banning of girl students

2022-05-24T15:01:24+00:00

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