■在美国,许多经期人员面临经期管理的障碍,比如长期贫困,或缺乏相关知识和负担得起的月经产品。我们目前对社会的理解,情感,期间贫困对大专院校学生的身体影响在很大程度上是有限的。
■这项试点研究的目的是评估阶段性贫困,与时期相关的班级中断,以及避免在校园中对学生进行月经卫生管理,并确定伊利诺伊大学芝加哥分校和其他城市大学的行动建议。
■2023年2月至5月的在线横断面研究。
■至少18岁的注册学生完成了匿名,自我管理的在线调查。通过SAS9.4版中的描述性统计和卡方检验,我们分析了社会人口统计学、学术,以及过去12个月有月经的人的月经特征。我们还对学生在校园月经经历的开放式回答进行了主题分析。
■在我们的样本中(N=106),17.1%的学生面临阶段性贫困,55.8%经历了与周期相关的班级中断,47.5%的人避免在校园里更换月经产品。三次月经经历之间的关系有统计学意义。在公开的回应中,学生报告说,他们的月经经历在很大程度上是痛苦和破坏性的。我们确定了以下主题:(1)水不足,卫生,和卫生设施;(2)库存不足,空的,或不存在的月经产品分配器;(3)需要用于月经的额外资源;和(4)月经的不可预测性。
■我们的研究结果表明,由于与月经基础设施相关的支持不足,学生在月经管理方面继续面临障碍,产品,和痛苦。我们概述了大学/学院机构的一些建议,以优先考虑为所有学生提供更具包容性和支持性的教育环境。
学生在美国城市大学校园的月经期经历,很多女孩,女人,和其他月经来潮者在管理月经时遇到挑战。这些障碍包括阶段性贫困,或无力负担资源和月经产品,如卫生棉条或垫。在这项研究中,我们探讨了时期贫困如何影响大学生。我们对106名18岁以上的学生进行了在线调查,在过去的12个月里有一段时间,并就读于芝加哥伊利诺伊大学。我们问他们月经情况,社会,和学术经验。我们发现,大约六分之一的学生在生活中的某个时候买不起月经产品,超过一半的人由于月经而错过了全部或部分课程,大约有二分之一的学生避免在校园里更换月经产品。这三种月经经历之间的关系具有统计学意义。许多学生还报告说,月经在很大程度上是痛苦的,破坏性的,而且难以预测,他们的校园几乎没有物质资源,管理月经的障碍更多。根据我们的发现,我们确定了大学和学院可以采取的几个步骤,以优先考虑为所有学生提供更具包容性和支持性的教育环境。
In the United States, many menstruators face barriers to period management, such as period poverty, or the lack of access to relevant knowledge and affordable menstrual products. Our current understanding of the social, emotional, and physical impacts of period poverty on students in post-secondary institutions is largely limited.
The purpose of this pilot study is to assess period poverty, period-related class disruption, and avoidance of menstrual hygiene management on campus among students and to identify recommendations for action at the University of Illinois Chicago and other urban universities.
An online cross-sectional study from February to May 2023.
Enrolled students who were at least 18 years old completed an anonymous, self-administered online survey. Through descriptive statistics and chi-square tests in SAS version 9.4, we analyzed the sociodemographic, academic, and menstrual characteristics of those who had a period in the past 12 months. We also performed a thematic analysis of students\' open-ended responses regarding their menstrual experiences on campus.
Of our sample (N = 106), 17.1% of students have faced period poverty, 55.8% experienced period-related class disruption, and 47.5% avoided changing their menstrual products on campus. The relationships between the three menstrual experiences were statistically significant. In the open responses, students reported that their personal experiences with menstruation were largely painful and disruptive. We identified the following themes: (1) inadequate water, sanitation, and hygiene facilities; (2) understocked, empty, or non-existent menstrual product dispensers; (3) a desire for additional resources for menstruation; and (4) the unpredictability of menstruation.
Our findings indicate that students continue to face obstacles to menstruation management due to inadequate support related to menstrual infrastructure, products, and pain. We outline several recommendations for university/college institutions to prioritize a more inclusive and supportive educational environment for all students.
Students’ experiences of menstrual periods while on an urban university campusIn the United States, many girls, women, and other menstruators encounter challenges while managing their menstrual periods. Such barriers include period poverty, or the inability to afford resources and menstrual products such as tampons or pads. In this study, we explored how period poverty impacts college/university students. We shared an online survey with 106 students who were older than 18 years, had a period in the last 12 months, and attended the University of Illinois Chicago. We asked them about their menstrual, social, and academic experiences. We found that approximately one in six students could not afford menstrual products at some point in their lives, over half missed all or portions of class due to their period, and about one in two students avoided changing their menstrual products on campus. The relationships between these three menstrual experiences were statistically significant. Many students also reported that periods were largely painful, disruptive, and unpredictable and that their campus had few physical resources and more obstacles to managing menstruation. From our findings, we identified several steps that universities and colleges can take to prioritize a more inclusive and supportive educational environment for all students.