Educational Program for Developing Knowledge and Healthy Practices Related to Menstruation for Early Adolescent Girls in The Governorate of Beheira

The research has aimed to develop and implement an educational program to develop knowledge about menstruation and its healthy practices for a sample of girls in early adolescence through clarifying the interrelationships and differences between (some social and economic variables) and (the girls' knowledge of menstruation and their healthy practices during that period).
The study sample has included (321) girls in the early stage of adolescence in the governorate of El-Beheira. The experimental sample has included (48) girls of low knowledge and practices level about the menstrual period. The descriptive analytical method and the Quasi- experimental method have been used. The research tools were a questionnaire about social and economic backgrounds of girls and their families, girls’ knowledge about menstruation and girls' healthy menstrual practices in addition to an educational program to raise knowledge about menstruation and improve the level of healthy practices during that period.
     The results of the study has shown a decline in the cognitive level of the research sample about menstruation, an average level of health practices followed during this period, and the existence of a statistically positive correlation between knowledge and healthy practices of the menstrual period on one side and mother's level of education on the other side. There has also been a statistically positive correlation between healthy practices during menstruation and father's level of education. There have been no statistically significant differences in the knowledge about menstruation due to maternal labour, and there have been no statistically significant differences in knowledge about menstruation due to the place of residence. Statistically significant differences have been noticed in the healthy practices of the menstrual period due to the place of residence for the benefit of urban dwellers. Also, girls' grades have been found of no statistical significance in the level of knowledge about menstruation while statistically significant differences have been evident in terms of healthy practices during the same period. The results have also shown the effectiveness of the educational program designed to raise the girls' level of knowledge about menstruation and their healthy practices during that period. The reason is that statistically significant differences have been clearly spotted between the results of the pre-application and the post application of the program on the experimental group concerning the level of knowledge about the period of menstruation for the benefit of the post application results. The study has recommended the need for more such studies which aim to spread awareness of menstruation and its healthy practices, targeting marginalized groups of society.