Menstrual Hygiene Management and Reproductive Morbidity among Women Tea Plantation Workers in Wayanad District, Kerala, India

A BSTRACT Background: There is a lack of studies focusing on menstrual hygiene management in the workplace, particularly in the informal sector where such facilities are insufficient or even absent. This study investigated menstrual hygiene management and reproductive health issues among women tea plantation workers. Methodology: A cross-sectional community-based study was undertaken, involving 330 women tea plantation workers aged 18–49 years; they were selected using multistage cluster sampling. Information on menstrual hygiene management and reproductive morbidity was collected using a validated questionnaire. A binary logistic regression analysis was performed to identify the factors associated with menstrual hygiene management. Results: Among the women tea plantation workers, 42.4% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 37.0–47.9) maintained satisfactory menstrual hygiene management. Of the participants, 16.1% reported at least one reproductive morbidity, 10.6% struggled to afford menstrual products every month, and 9.6% did not have access to proper toilet and washing facilities. Women belonging to Christian and Muslim religions (adjusted odd ratio [AOR]: 2.03, 95% CI: 1.22–3.36), those belonging to nuclear families (AOR: 1.62, 95% CI: 1.04–2.53), those with primary education and above (AOR: 1.88, 95% CI: 1.19–2.98), those with the piped water supply at home (AOR: 3.22; 95% CI: 1.92–5.38), and those with toilet facilities available in house (AOR: 2.70, 95% CI: 1.53–4.75) were more likely to maintain satisfactory menstrual hygiene management compared to their counterparts. Conclusion: More than half of the tea plantation workers’ menstrual hygiene management was not satisfactory. Efforts to improve menstrual hygiene practices in this population should prioritize education as well as the provision of piped water supply and toilet facilities.