Menstrual Restriction and Perceived Stress among school going Adolescent girls in Kailali, Nepal
1
Medical and Allied Science, Pokhara University, Kathmandu, Nepal
Popul. Med. 2026;8(Supplement Supplement 1):
ABSTRACT
ABSTRACT:
Menstrual restriction has persisted in Nepalese society for centuries, rooted in ignorance and myth and reinforced through Hindu religious narratives. These practices impose severe limitations on women’s daily activities. The most extreme form, Chhaupadi, has led to preventable deaths of women and children due to suffocation, snakebite, rape, and other harms. Despite its legal criminalization, menstrual restriction remains widely practiced. This study aimed to assess the prevalence of menstrual restriction and its association with perceived stress among adolescent girls attending lower secondary schools in Godawari Municipality, Kailali District, Far-Western Nepal. A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted among 370 adolescent girls selected through proportionate random sampling. A structured questionnaire and Likert-scale tool were pretested among 10% of the sample in Kathmandu. Data were analyzed using univariate analysis, bivariate (Chi-square) tests, and multivariate logistic regression. Perceived stress was comparatively higher among upper-caste groups and Dalits who strictly followed menstrual restrictions than among disadvantaged hill Janajatis. Stress levels were also moderately higher in larger households. More than 80% of the measured forms of menstrual restriction showed a significant association with perceived stress. Practices such as being barred from entering the house, being sent to Chhau Goth, being restricted from touching male family members, livestock, food, or dairy products, eating separately, avoiding cultural rituals, being denied a bed, mattress, or heavy blankets were all associated with higher stress levels. Girls restricted from entering or residing inside the house had 3.78 times higher odds of perceived stress (OR=3.78; CI=1.96–7.33), and those sent to Chhau Goth had 2.98 times higher odds (OR=2.98; CI=1.94–4.57). These findings highlight an urgent need for further research and targeted interventions to address menstrual restriction and its adverse psychological, social, and physical impacts on adolescent girls and their communities.
Menstrual restriction has persisted in Nepalese society for centuries, rooted in ignorance and myth and reinforced through Hindu religious narratives. These practices impose severe limitations on women’s daily activities. The most extreme form, Chhaupadi, has led to preventable deaths of women and children due to suffocation, snakebite, rape, and other harms. Despite its legal criminalization, menstrual restriction remains widely practiced. This study aimed to assess the prevalence of menstrual restriction and its association with perceived stress among adolescent girls attending lower secondary schools in Godawari Municipality, Kailali District, Far-Western Nepal. A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted among 370 adolescent girls selected through proportionate random sampling. A structured questionnaire and Likert-scale tool were pretested among 10% of the sample in Kathmandu. Data were analyzed using univariate analysis, bivariate (Chi-square) tests, and multivariate logistic regression. Perceived stress was comparatively higher among upper-caste groups and Dalits who strictly followed menstrual restrictions than among disadvantaged hill Janajatis. Stress levels were also moderately higher in larger households. More than 80% of the measured forms of menstrual restriction showed a significant association with perceived stress. Practices such as being barred from entering the house, being sent to Chhau Goth, being restricted from touching male family members, livestock, food, or dairy products, eating separately, avoiding cultural rituals, being denied a bed, mattress, or heavy blankets were all associated with higher stress levels. Girls restricted from entering or residing inside the house had 3.78 times higher odds of perceived stress (OR=3.78; CI=1.96–7.33), and those sent to Chhau Goth had 2.98 times higher odds (OR=2.98; CI=1.94–4.57). These findings highlight an urgent need for further research and targeted interventions to address menstrual restriction and its adverse psychological, social, and physical impacts on adolescent girls and their communities.
| eISSN: | 2654-1459 |
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