INTRODUCTION:
Menstrual hygiene management is an important public health concern among young women, but there is a paucity of evidence on theory-based interventions at the university level. This study aimed to determine the effect of an educational Intervention on menstrual hygiene knowledge and associated determinants among female university students in Uganda.

METHODS:
A quasi-experimental design with a non-equivalent control group educational Intervention based on Social Cognitive Theory and Health Promotion Model was used from October to December 2025. We surveyed 436 participants from Campus A( Experiment group) and Campus B( Control Group) regarding their menstrual knowledge, sociocultural attitudes and hygiene practices. Propensity Score Matching was used. The intervention effects were analyzed using Difference-in-Differences approach. The logistic regression analysis was done using STATA version 15. The statistical significance level was considered to be p < 0.05.

RESULTS:
Knowledge was enhanced and sociocultural barriers were decreased among the female students. Campus A students displayed a significant improvement in their knowledge (baseline: 5.61 +- 0.99; endline: 6.00 +- 0.91; DiD = 0.807, p < 0.001) and less sociocultural barrier (DiD = 0.422, p = 0.001). While the hygiene practices of menstruation were better in both groups, the extra impact of the intervention on practices was not significant (DiD = 0.000, p = 1.000).

CONCLUSIONS:
A theory-based educational intervention significantly enhanced knowledge and reduced sociocultural barriers. The translation of knowledge into practice was not significant, implying that there might be other interventions needed, other than an educational intervention. The findings imply that education is necessary but not sufficient for changing menstrual hygiene practices among the study participants.