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Mixed Method Evaluation of My Vital Cycles ® : A Holistic School-Based Ovulatory Menstrual Health Literacy Program

Author

Listed:
  • Felicity Roux

    (Curtin Medical School, Curtin University, Bentley, WA 6102, Australia)

  • HuiJun Chih

    (School of Population Health, Curtin University, Bentley, WA 6102, Australia)

  • Jacqueline Hendriks

    (School of Population Health, Curtin University, Bentley, WA 6102, Australia)

  • Sharyn Burns

    (School of Population Health, Curtin University, Bentley, WA 6102, Australia)

Abstract

There is a high prevalence of ovulatory menstrual (OM) dysfunctions among adolescents, and their menstrual health literacy is poor. The OM cycle can be used as a personal health monitor provided that the skills to understand it are correctly taught. My Vital Cycles ® , a holistic school-based OM health literacy program, was trialed with a Grade 9 cohort in one single-sex school in Western Australia using the Health Promoting School framework. A validated OM health literacy questionnaire was administered pre- and post-program with 94 participants. Functional OM health literacy improved overall, with 15 out of 20 items showing improvement post-program ( p < 0.05). In addition, 19 out of 53 items for interactive OM health literacy, and 18 out of 25 items for critical OM health literacy improved ( p < 0.05). The improvement in mood concerns ( p = 0.002) was unexpected. Thematic analysis of three focus groups of 18 girls revealed four themes of increasing comfort levels; finding the program informative; inclusion of non-teaching support such as healthcare professionals; and suggestions for future refinements. Overall, this Western Australian PhD project which developed and trialed My Vital Cycles ® improved OM health literacy and was positively received. Future research possibilities include understanding the program’s impact on mental health and further trials in co-educational settings; amongst different populations; and with extended post-program testing.

Suggested Citation

  • Felicity Roux & HuiJun Chih & Jacqueline Hendriks & Sharyn Burns, 2023. "Mixed Method Evaluation of My Vital Cycles ® : A Holistic School-Based Ovulatory Menstrual Health Literacy Program," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(11), pages 1-18, May.
  • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:20:y:2023:i:11:p:5964-:d:1157034
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Mojtaba Vaismoradi & Hannele Turunen & Terese Bondas, 2013. "Content analysis and thematic analysis: Implications for conducting a qualitative descriptive study," Nursing & Health Sciences, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 15(3), pages 398-405, September.
    2. Kathryn Holmes & Christina Curry & Sherry & Tania Ferfolja & Kelly Parry & Caroline Smith & Mikayla Hyman & Mike Armour, 2021. "Adolescent Menstrual Health Literacy in Low, Middle and High-Income Countries: A Narrative Review," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(5), pages 1-13, February.
    3. Jing Jing Su & Deborah Lindell, 2016. "Promoting the menstrual health of adolescent girls in China," Nursing & Health Sciences, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 18(4), pages 481-487, December.
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