A Comparative Study to Assess the Effectiveness of Structured Teaching Programme on Knowledge Regarding Use of Sanitary Napkin among urban and Rural Adolescent Girls in Selected School of Bhilai (C.G)

Adolescence is the period of life between childhood and adulthood, when people experience rapid physical, cognitive, and psycho-social growth. It's usually associated with the teenage years, but can begin earlier or end later. The United Nations defines adolescents as people between the ages of 10 and 19. Adolescents are likely to face a range of reproductive health and social challenges. For instance, initiation of sexual activity while they lack adequate knowledge and skills for protection places adolescents at a higher risk of unwanted pregnancy, unsafe abortion and sexually transmitted infections including HIV/AIDS. Adolescence is a transformative phase marked by rapid growth, making menstrual hygiene critical for adolescent girls' health. This study examines the effectiveness of a structured teaching program on sanitary napkin use among urban and rural adolescent girls in Bhilai, C.G. Using a pre-experimental design, 60 participants were assessed through questionnaires before and after the intervention. Findings reveal significant improvement in knowledge post-intervention, underscoring the importance of educational programs in enhancing menstrual hygiene management and reducing health risks. The Role of community health nurses in school health is significant. It comprises imparting knowledge to the school girls about the importance of sanitary napkin. When the school girl is educated, she propagates the information to her family members, friends and to the society. It promotes the dignity of the girls and women in the society. Thus, the community health nurse plays a major role to empower the school girls with adequate knowledge on sanitary napkin during menstruation, which enhances self esteem and academic performance. Therefore, it helps them to develop themselves comprehensively and that promote their quality of life. Material and Method: Totally 60 adolescents were selected from the school of Bhilai (C.G.) after obtaining informed consent. Data were collected using 40 questionnaires. Result: The structured teaching programme was highly effective in improving the knowledge of adolescent school girls regarding use of sanitary napkin in urban and rural area as ??t?? value 8.62(urban) and 3.14(rural) was greater than the table value (2.05) at 0.05 level significance respectively. on comparing the knowledge score regarding use of sanitary napkin among adolescent school girls in urban and rural, it was found that there was no significant difference in the pre- and post-test knowledge score among the subject in urban and rural adolescent school girls as the calculated ??t?? value 0.96(urban) and 0.45(rural) was less than table value (2.05) at 0.05 at level of significance respectively.