RESUMEN
This study elucidates the effectiveness of a menstrual education program with segmented MHM procedure on the MHM skills of girls with intellectual disabilities/HSN compared with those with typical development. Participants in a nonrandomized comparative study included nine adolescent girls with intellectual disabilities/HSN and ten with typical development. They practiced MHM on dolls three times: before, immediately after, and three months after participating in the educational program. Although the total MHM scores were significantly higher after both groups attended the program, the girls with intellectual disabilities/HSN had significantly lower total and mean scores on MHM items than girls with typical development. They still required instruction on the majority of the items after 3 months. Meanwhile, girls with intellectual disabilities/HSN showed a significant improvement in napkin changing skills and maintained post-course scores 3 months later, similar to those with typical development.
RESUMEN
Prepubescent girls with intellectual disabilities and high support needs encounter difficulties with menstrual hygiene management (MHM) and require individualized education. However, no clear methodology exists for assessing the reliability and validity of premenstrual MHM skills. We developed a 17-item MHM assessment tool to determine the intra- and inter-examiner reproducibility of MHM skills. Prepubescents-9 with intellectual disabilities and 10 with typical development-were educated on menstruation and assessed by three examiners. The intra-class correlation coefficient (ICC) showed high reproducibility, with intra-examiner reproducibility (ICC [1.1]) ranging from 0.87 to 0.99, regardless of disability. Conversely, inter-examiner reproducibilities were ICC (2.1) = 0.69-0.92 and 0.50-0.94 and Kappa coefficients were 0.54-0.81 and 0.37-1.00 for girls with intellectual disability and others, respectively. Items such as lowering underwear and wrapping napkins were less reproducible despite disability. Ability did not affect reproducibility and was useful for identifying MHM changes pre- and post-menstrual education.