Effect of Systematic Menstrual Health Education on Dysmenorrheic Female Adolescents' Knowledge, Attitudes, and Self‐Care Behavior

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of systematic health education on female adolescents' knowledge of dysmenorrhea, menstrual attitudes, and dysmenorrhea-related self-care behaviors. Through the research process, a dysmenorrheal self-care pamphlet for female adolescents was developed. The study used a quasi-experimental intervention with a nonequivalent-control group design. Three vocational nursing schools were requested to participate in this study: one was assigned to the experimental group and two were assigned to the control group. Female students who had experienced dysmenorrheic cramps two or more times during the last 6 months since the interview were recruited for the study. There were 218 subjects randomly assigned to an experimental group, and 237 subjects to a control group. Intervention consisted of a three-session health education program in which the experimental group was split up into six smaller groups. Data were collected before, 2 weeks after, and 4 months after the intervention. Results revealed a significant increase in the experimental group members' dysmenorrhea-related knowledge and self-care behavior, but not in their attitudes. The findings of this study can serve as a guide to healthcare providers who want to design an effective systematic menstrual health education program for female adolescents.