Menarche as a silent transition: islamic modesty norms, mother–daughter communication, and menstrual readiness among rural Indonesian adolescents

Background Menarche is a key developmental milestone for adolescent girls, yet in many Muslim-majority rural settings it occurs within strong norms of modesty and silence. Although prior research has identified gaps in menstrual knowledge and hygiene, limited evidence explains how Islamic modesty norms and mother–daughter communication jointly influence menstrual readiness during the early transition around menarche. Objective This study examined menarche as a culturally patterned silent transition by exploring (1) how Islamic modesty norms shape adolescents’ silence and disclosure practices, (2) the association between mother–daughter communication quality and menstrual readiness, and (3) implications for culturally safe nursing, school, and community interventions for rural Indonesian adolescents. Methods An explanatory sequential mixed-methods design was applied. The quantitative phase involved a school-based survey of 386 Muslim girls aged 10–15 years in rural Indonesia measuring modesty norms, mother–daughter communication, and menstrual readiness. Structural equation modeling assessed direct, indirect (mediation), and moderation effects. The qualitative phase included 20 in-depth interviews analyzed using Colaizzi's phenomenological approach to deepen interpretation of quantitative findings. Results Islamic modesty norms were negatively associated with menstrual readiness ( β = −0.21, p < 0.001), whereas mother–daughter communication demonstrated a strong positive association ( β = 0.43, p < 0.001). Communication partially mediated the relationship between modesty norms and readiness (indirect β = −0.14, p < 0.001). Moderation analysis indicated that high modesty norms weakened the positive effect of communication. Qualitative findings showed menarche was often experienced as silent and private, with communication focused on rules rather than emotional support. Conclusion Menarche is experienced as a culturally patterned silent transition shaped by modesty norms and relational communication. Strengthening emotionally supportive communication within Islamic values is essential to enhance menstrual readiness and reduce stigma in culturally responsive interventions.