Menstruation Experiences and Subjective Sports Performance of Female Senior High School Athletes in Ajumako District

Variations in sports performance due to menstruation have attracted increasing attention and debate in recent years. This study explored the relationship between menstruation and perceived sports performance among senior high school female athletes in the Ajumako District. A cross-sectional survey design was employed, using a structured questionnaire to collect data from a census sample of 200 female student-athletes. Data analysis involved descriptive statistics and multiple linear regression. The results indicated that a majority of respondents involve themselves in some kind of menstrual practices, although their hygiene and sports-related practices were generally satisfactory. Additionally, the physical and psychological effects of menstruation accounted for 17% of the variance in sports performance (R² = .17, F (2,178) = 1.56, p = .013). Both physical (β = -0.044, p = .021) and psychological (β = -0.107, p = .036) effects were predictors of performance outcomes. The study concludes that menstruation moderately impacts sports performance among female athletes but is not extremely strong. It is recommended that physical education teachers, coaches, sports professionals, chaperones, and other stakeholders receive appropriate training to help them adapt training programs and competition schedules to accommodate the physical and psychological changes associated with menstruation.