Men for Menstruation–Care and Concern Tool—Empathy and Attitude Toward Menstrual Hygiene Awareness Among Male Construction Site Workers in Metropolitan Suburban Regions of Maharashtra: A Bio-Behavioral Intervention Study

Menstrual hygiene management remains a critical public health issue, with male attitudes being key drivers of menstrual stigmatization. In male-dominated industries like construction, awareness and empathy toward menstrual hygiene are alarmingly low, perpetuating discrimination and poor health outcomes for women. This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of the Men for Menstruation–Care and Concern (MFM-CC) Tool on awareness toward menstrual hygiene among male construction site workers in the Mumbai Metropolitan Suburban Region of Maharashtra, India. A single-arm pre–post bio-behavioral intervention study was conducted among 482 construction workers (213 from MS East, 269 from MS West) between November 2024 and February 2025 using the novel MFM-CC Tool. The intervention comprised a standardized audiovisual health education model in the local language and a 15-item questionnaire administered pre- and post-intervention to assess awareness of menstrual hygiene. Significant improvements were observed across all awareness parameters. Awareness of monthly menstruation frequency increased from 10.0% to 97.3% ( p < .001). Recognition of sanitary pads as ideal menstrual hygiene products improved from 10.0% to 100.0%. Willingness to discuss menstrual health with female family members rose from 10.2% to 96.5%. Support for workplace menstrual health facilities increased from 19.9% to 89.2% ( p < .001). Mean awareness scores significantly improved from 2.20 ± 1.47 to 10.70 ± 0.86 ( p < .001). The MFM-CC Tool was effective in improving menstrual hygiene awareness among male construction workers and demonstrated its potential as a replicable approach for promoting male engagement in menstrual health advocacy.