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Effect of Menstrual Pain Management Education on Dysmenorrhoea Self-Care Practices among Female Undergraduates in Nigeria

Abstract

Dysmenorrhoea, commonly referred to as painful menstruation, is a prevalent menstrual health concern among adolescent girls and young women and may negatively affect academic activities, social participation, physical wellbeing, and quality of life. Female undergraduates may experience recurrent menstrual pain that interferes with lectures, examinations, studying, attendance, and other university activities. Despite its common occurrence, inadequate knowledge of appropriate menstrual pain management, misconceptions about dysmenorrhoea, reliance on ineffective self-treatment methods, and limited access to appropriate healthcare information may contribute to poor self-care practices. Menstrual pain management education provides an opportunity to improve students' knowledge of appropriate approaches to managing dysmenorrhoea and encourage safe and effective self-care practices. Against this background, this study investigates the effect of menstrual pain management education on dysmenorrhoea self-care practices among female undergraduates in Nigeria. The study will be anchored on the Health Belief Model, Social Cognitive Theory, and Self-Care Deficit Theory. The Health Belief Model explains how students' perceptions of the severity of menstrual pain, perceived benefits of appropriate self-care, perceived barriers, and cues to action may influence their adoption of recommended pain-management practices. Social Cognitive Theory emphasizes knowledge acquisition, self-efficacy, observational learning, social support, and environmental influences in developing and maintaining health behaviours. Self-Care Deficit Theory emphasizes individuals' ability to acquire knowledge and perform appropriate self-care activities to maintain health and manage health-related conditions. Collectively, these theoretical perspectives provide a suitable framework for explaining how menstrual pain management education may influence dysmenorrhoea self-care practices among female undergraduates in Nigeria. The study will adopt a quantitative quasi-experimental or analytical cross-sectional research design. The study population will comprise female undergraduate students enrolled in selected universities across Nigeria. A multistage sampling technique will be used to select states, universities, faculties, departments, and eligible female students. Menstrual pain management education will be assessed using indicators such as exposure to structured educational sessions, frequency and duration of education, information on dysmenorrhoea causes and symptoms, use of appropriate non-pharmacological measures, safe use of recommended analgesics, heat therapy, physical activity, relaxation techniques, adequate rest, hydration, nutrition, identification of warning signs, and appropriate healthcare-seeking. Dysmenorrhoea self-care practices will be assessed using indicators such as use of appropriate pain-management measures, safe medication practices, heat application, physical activity, relaxation techniques, adequate rest, hydration, menstrual tracking, avoidance of unsafe remedies, and consultation with healthcare professionals when pain is severe, persistent, worsening, or associated with other concerning symptoms. Data will be collected using structured questionnaires and appropriate menstrual health or dysmenorrhoea self-care assessment instruments. Descriptive statistics will be used to summarize participants' characteristics, exposure to menstrual pain management education, and patterns of self-care practices. Inferential statistical techniques, including chi-square tests, t-tests, correlation analysis, and logistic or multiple regression analysis where appropriate, will be used to determine the effect of menstrual pain management education on dysmenorrhoea self-care practices. Where a quasi-experimental design is adopted, self-care practice scores before and after the educational intervention may be compared 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 menstrual pain management education has a significant positive effect on dysmenorrhoea self-care practices among female undergraduates in Nigeria. Students exposed to structured and evidence-based education are expected to demonstrate improved adoption of appropriate and safe strategies for managing menstrual pain compared with students who have limited exposure to menstrual pain management information. Education may improve students' understanding of dysmenorrhoea, increase confidence in managing symptoms, encourage appropriate use of non-pharmacological measures, promote safe use of recommended medications, and reduce reliance on potentially harmful or ineffective remedies. The intervention may also improve recognition of severe or unusual menstrual pain that requires professional assessment, particularly where symptoms may indicate an underlying gynaecological condition. However, cultural beliefs, misinformation, financial constraints, limited access to healthcare services, peer influence, medication misconceptions, and embarrassment surrounding menstrual health may reduce the effectiveness of menstrual pain management education. The study therefore expects accessible, culturally appropriate, evidence-based, and regularly reinforced menstrual pain management education to contribute significantly to improved dysmenorrhoea self-care practices among female undergraduates in Nigeria. The study is expected to contribute to the literature on menstrual pain management education, dysmenorrhoea self-care practices, menstrual health, women's reproductive health, university health services, health education, self-care, 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 providers, nurses, pharmacists, gynaecologists, student welfare departments, women's health organizations, development partners, and policymakers regarding strategies for improving menstrual health among female undergraduates. The study will also provide evidence-based recommendations for integrating menstrual pain management education into university health programmes, strengthening menstrual health education, training healthcare providers and peer educators, developing culturally appropriate educational materials, improving access to appropriate menstrual health services, promoting safe pain-management practices, and encouraging timely professional evaluation of severe or persistent dysmenorrhoea among female undergraduates across Nigeria.

Keywords: Menstrual pain management education, dysmenorrhoea, self-care practices, female undergraduates, menstrual health, menstrual pain, reproductive health, health education, self-care, university health services, Nigeria, public health.