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Effect of Health Education on Knowledge of Menstrual Pain Management among Female University Students in Nigeria

Abstract

Menstrual pain, commonly referred to as dysmenorrhea, is a frequent health concern among adolescent girls and young women and may affect daily activities, academic participation, concentration, social interaction, and overall quality of life. Female university students in Nigeria may experience menstrual pain but have limited knowledge of appropriate pain-management strategies, including the use of evidence-based self-care measures, appropriate use of pain-relief medicines, physical activity, heat therapy, adequate rest, and when to seek professional healthcare. Misconceptions, reliance on ineffective remedies, fear of medication, limited access to accurate reproductive health information, and normalization of severe menstrual pain may contribute to inadequate management. Health education provides an opportunity to improve students' understanding of menstrual pain and appropriate management strategies. Against this background, this study investigates the effect of health education on knowledge of menstrual pain management among female university students in Nigeria. The study will be anchored on the Health Belief Model, Health Literacy Framework, and Social Cognitive Theory. The Health Belief Model explains how students' perceptions of the severity of menstrual pain, perceived benefits of appropriate management, perceived barriers, self-efficacy, and cues to action may influence their knowledge and health-related decisions. The Health Literacy Framework emphasizes students' ability to access, understand, evaluate, and apply reliable information concerning menstrual health and pain management. Social Cognitive Theory emphasizes observational learning, self-efficacy, reinforcement, social support, and environmental influences in shaping students' health practices. Collectively, these theoretical perspectives provide a suitable framework for explaining how health education may influence knowledge of menstrual pain management among female university students in Nigeria. The study will adopt a quantitative quasi-experimental or analytical cross-sectional research design. The study population will comprise female undergraduate and postgraduate students aged 18 years and above enrolled in selected public and private universities across Nigeria. A multistage sampling technique will be used to select geopolitical zones, states, universities, faculties or departments, levels of study, and eligible students. Health education will be assessed using indicators such as exposure to menstrual-health education sessions, frequency and duration of education, information on menstrual pain and dysmenorrhea, menstrual self-care, heat therapy, appropriate physical activity, rest and sleep, hydration, dietary considerations, safe use of appropriate pain-relief medicines, medication precautions, recognition of severe or unusual menstrual pain, warning signs requiring medical assessment, appropriate healthcare-seeking, and reliable sources of menstrual-health information. Knowledge of menstrual pain management will be assessed using indicators such as students' ability to identify common causes and features of menstrual pain, recognize appropriate self-care measures, understand the appropriate use and precautions of pain-relief medicines, identify non-pharmacological management options, recognize ineffective or potentially harmful practices, understand when menstrual pain may require professional evaluation, and identify appropriate healthcare providers and reliable sources of information. Data will be collected using structured questionnaires, standardized menstrual-pain management knowledge assessment tools, scenario-based questions, and pre-test and post-test assessments where a quasi-experimental intervention is adopted. Descriptive statistics will be used to summarize students' demographic and academic characteristics, menstrual history, previous experience of menstrual pain, sources of menstrual-health information, management practices, and knowledge levels. Inferential statistical techniques, including chi-square tests, paired and independent t-tests, correlation analysis, and logistic or multiple regression analysis where appropriate, will be used to determine the effect of health education on knowledge of menstrual pain management. Where a quasi-experimental design is adopted, knowledge scores before and after the educational intervention may be compared with those of a comparison group to determine changes associated with the intervention. Diagnostic tests will also be conducted to assess the reliability, validity, and robustness of the findings. The study is expected to find that health education has a significant positive effect on knowledge of menstrual pain management among female university students in Nigeria. Students exposed to structured, evidence-based, culturally appropriate, and sustained menstrual-health education are expected to demonstrate greater knowledge of appropriate menstrual-pain management strategies than students without comparable exposure. Education may improve understanding of heat therapy, appropriate physical activity, adequate rest, menstrual self-care, and safe use of appropriate pain-relief medicines. It may also correct misconceptions about menstrual pain and help students recognize that severe, persistent, or unusual pain may require professional medical assessment rather than being accepted as a normal experience that must simply be endured. Education may further improve students' ability to distinguish reliable menstrual-health information from misinformation obtained from peers, social media, or unverified sources. However, cultural beliefs, stigma surrounding menstruation, financial barriers to healthcare, limited access to healthcare professionals, fear of medication, misinformation, and normalization of severe menstrual pain may reduce the effectiveness of education alone. The study therefore expects accessible, confidential, practical, and sustained menstrual-health education, supported by appropriate university health services, to contribute significantly to improved knowledge of menstrual pain management among female university students in Nigeria. The study is expected to contribute to the literature on menstrual health, menstrual pain management, dysmenorrhea, reproductive health education, female university student health, health literacy, women's health, health promotion, healthcare-seeking behaviour, and public health in Nigeria. The findings will provide useful information to the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, Federal Ministry of Education, universities, university health centres, healthcare professionals, reproductive health providers, public health practitioners, student organizations, development partners, and policymakers regarding strategies for improving menstrual health among young women. The study will also provide evidence-based recommendations for integrating menstrual-pain management education into university health programmes, improving access to reliable menstrual-health information, strengthening student-friendly reproductive health services, promoting appropriate healthcare-seeking for severe menstrual pain, and developing sustainable menstrual-health education interventions for female university students across Nigeria.

Keywords: Health education, menstrual pain management, dysmenorrhea, knowledge, female university students, menstrual health, reproductive health, health literacy, women's health, health promotion, Nigeria, public health.