Vol. 3, November, 2024

Menstrual Waste Management Practices and Hygiene Among Female Undergraduates at Lagos State University, Ojo.

Waliu Babatunde Ogunbamowo (MPH, PhD); Owolabi, Habeeb Ladi (P.hD); Ashon, Daniel Oluwatobi & Ligali, Lateefat Abiodun

Abstract

This research work examined menstrual waste management practices and hygiene among
undergraduates at Lagos State University, Ojo. The research work discusses menstruation, menstrual
waste practices, menstrual waste materials and hygiene. Two research questions and hypotheses were
raised to accomplish the study's objectives. The use of descriptive survey research was adopted,
populations of the study comprised all female undergraduate students from all selected faculties at Lagos
State University. A mixed sampling technique was adopted. A stratified sampling technique was used
in the selection of faculties in the university and a simple random technique was used to select three
hundred (300) female undergraduate students in each faculty in Lagos State University. A modified
structured questionnaire tagged: “Menstrual Waste Management Practices Questionnaire
(MWMPQ) was employed., The questionnaire was divided into two sections A and B. Section A asked
questions about the demographic information of the respondents whereas Section B asked questions on
menstrual waste management methods among Lagos State University's female undergraduate
students. The reliability of the instrument was achieved using the test-retest method, with Cronbach
alpha test and R-value of 0.86. Data collected were analysed using frequency count and percentage for
demographic data while inferential statistic of Chi-square was used to test the stated hypotheses at 0.05
level of significance. It was noted that poor menstrual waste management stems from a lack of
awareness, poverty, and other factors. The research work emphasized the importance of menstrual
hygiene and good menstrual waste disposal. Different ways of menstrual waste disposal, and menstrual
waste materials were analyzed, and each effect on vaginal infections. It further recommended the need
for the government to spread awareness, especially in rural, underdeveloped areas.

Keywords

Menstruation, Hygiene, Practices, Undergraduate, Waste, Management, Infection, Disposal.

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