Effects of Menstrual Symptoms on Academic Performances Among School Children at Km/Km/R.K.M.Girls’ School, Karaitivu, Sri Lanka

Abstract

Menstrual symptoms play a significant role on the academic performances of female students. So, this study was aimed to assess the effects of menstrual symptoms such as abdominal cramps, body pain, headache, tiredness, breast tenderness, diarrhea, constipation, irritability, forgetfulness and stress, on the academic performances of the school children and provide knowledge on coping mechanisms. A school-based cross-sectional study was conducted among 175 students of 13-16 years old at KM/KM/R.K.M. Girls’ School, Karaitivu. Self-administered questionnaire was used for data collection. Menstrual symptoms were assessed according to their presence and severity level of mild, moderate and severe. Assessment of the effects were carried out on the basis of how often they are being affected- always, frequently, rarely and never. Data was entered into Microsoft excel and analysed using descriptive statistics like percentages and presented in frequencies, tables, graphs and pie charts. The study shows that significant percentage of students have menstrual symptoms from mild to severe level. 74 (42.28%) students are not interested in going to school, 67 (38.28%) students feel more tiring to write notes, 67 (38.28%) students stated that they have a lack of concentration during study hours and 61 (34.85%) students are unable to prepare for exams in rare level. The significantly affecting major symptoms are abdominal cramps, tiredness and irritability. The highest percentage of students have rare level of effects in attending school, feel more tiring to write notes, lack of concentration during study hours and unable to prepare for exam while the other effects are presented in either less or considerable percentage. So, it is necessary to provide knowledge on coping mechanisms to minimize these effects on academic performances into very less or zero percentage.