Cureus. 2025 May 4;17(5):e83478. doi: 10.7759/cureus.83478. eCollection 2025 May.
ABSTRACT
Background Research has revealed that numerous adolescent girls start menstruating without adequate information or readiness. Nevertheless, there is a lack of literature regarding the impact of educational interventions on improving the knowledge of adolescent girls in this regard. Thus, this study aimed to evaluate how a nurse-led intervention influences stress levels and menstrual parameters among adolescent girls in a chosen school in Navi Mumbai. Methodology The study employed a quantitative research approach and utilized a simple random sampling technique, specifically the lottery method, to select 80 (sample size calculated on the basis of the prevalence of a previous similar study) adolescent girls, with 40 in each group. Data collection involved the use of a self-structured questionnaire. Pre-hemoglobin levels for both the control and study groups were measured using a digital hemoglobin meter. A pre-test was conducted for both groups, focusing on demographic information, perceived stress, and menstrual health parameters. The study group received instruction in stretching exercises for alleviating dysmenorrhea, delivered by two nurse researchers, along with a booklet on menstrual parameters and daily distribution of two servings (100 g each) of iron-rich supplements in the form of laddoos. Results Analysis of the data utilized both descriptive and inferential statistics. The results indicated that the exercise intervention significantly reduced stress levels among adolescent girls in the study group regarding pain management during menstruation (mean=87.900, SD=8.53), with a high level of significance at p<0.001. Additionally, the changes in hemoglobin levels for both the control and study groups were 9.55 ± 2.1477 (p=0.058) and 10.225 ± 1.0975 (p=0.017), respectively, indicating a notable effectiveness of the nutritional supplement in improving anemia-related parameters in the study group. Furthermore, the distribution of booklets addressing menstrual parameters among adolescent girls in the study group resulted in a mean score of 6.20 ± 0.723, reflecting a positive change in menstrual health awareness and practices. The findings were extremely significant, with a p-value of less than 0.001, leading to the rejection of the null hypothesis H01. Conclusion The study suggests that replicating and implementing similar nurse-led educational interventions across all secondary schools in Navi Mumbai could systematically improve adolescents’ understanding of menstruation and menstrual hygiene.
PMID:40470459 | PMC:PMC12134149 | DOI:10.7759/cureus.83478
