ABSTRACT
The study looked at the impact of health locus of control on menstruation attitudes in three generations of women in Lagos Metropolis, according to a study conducted by the ikeja local government.
The study chose 450 three-generation women in Lagos State using a survey methodology and a purposive sampling technique. The data was collected from the respondents using a well-designed questionnaire that was shown to be valid and reliable. The Pearson correlation analysis was used to assess the data collected during the administration of the questionnaires.
The correlation study revealed a positive and significant link (r=0.772; p0.05) between health locus of control and three generations of women.
Furthermore, there is a positive and significant link (r=.896; p0.05) between menstrual attitude and three generations of women. There was also a positive and significant link (r=0.772; p0.05) between health locus of control and menstruation attitude.
The study found that women’s menstruation attitudes are influenced by their health locus of control over three generations in Lagos.
Further research is needed to determine the widespread attitudes and beliefs about menstruation in Nigerian women, as well as what factors, other than those examined in this study, may contribute to these attitudes and beliefs; A context-specific instrument to measure women’s attitudes and beliefs about their menstruation is needed. Menstrual hygiene education
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY
Menstruation is a physiologic occurrence with significant cultural ramifications. Individuals do not have a socio-cultural perception of the body. Women’s perceptions of the physiological and hormonal changes connected with menstruation, on the other hand, are inextricably linked to the social and historical context in which they live, which is influenced by the significance attributed to these changes by westernised medical discourses (Ussher, 2006). Menstruation has been ascribed various meanings throughout history, ranging from determining a woman’s position and social role to being viewed as a plague that all women must experience (Anjum, Zehra, Haider, Rani, Siddique & Munir, 2010). This portrayal of the female reproductive body as insufficient and in need of control, as well as menstruation as a source of craziness and debilitation, lies at the root of the problem. Women all across the world are advised by culture and religion to avoid certain tasks when menstruating, such as cooking, working, praying, and having sexual intercourse, as these are considered unclean (Buckley & Gottlieb, 1988). Menstruation is viewed as something about which women should always be modest in many societies, where menarche may be celebrated as a developmental milestone, but menstruation is regarded as something about which women should always be discreet (Marván & Molina-Abolnik, 2012). These constraints during menstruation, as well as the secrecy surrounding it, may have a harmful affect on womanhood by mentally abusing women, lowering their self-image and self-esteem, instilling a sense of shame, and undermining the physiological relevance of menstruation (Umeora & Egwuatu, 2008). As a result, the medicalization of the female reproductive body has consequences for control of those bodies and experiences (Cindoglu & Sayan-Cengiz, 2010). It is also argued that patriarchy is closely linked to the medicalization of the female reproductive body, because defining natural biological processes like menstruation and pregnancy as abnormal and pathological reflects the belief that women are, by nature, victims of their own reproductive systems (Cindoglu & Sayan-Cengiz, 2010). Because men in western society have the capacity to define particular behaviors, practices, and experiences, the medicalization of menstruation can be understood as a direct form of social control over women (Conrad, 1992). In Western society, there are very few things that haven’t been changed. Stereotypical expectations about menstruation women have also developed as a result of the mainstream medical perspective of the female body (Marván, Cortés-Iniestra, & González, 2005). Menstruation, for example, is thought to influence women’s performance, with menstrual women having difficulties concentrating, displaying poor judgment, lacking physical coordination, exhibiting lower efficiency, and performing poorly at school or at work (Chrisler & Caplan, 2002). Although there is little scientific evidence to support this belief, many women may feel detached from their obligations if they subscribe to it. If this view becomes common, it may limit women’s possibilities in the workplace and as contributors to society as a whole.
Young women’s negative and favorable perceptions of menstruation are shaped primarily by their first experiences with it, and are reinforced by the effects of their culture, religion, peers, family members, and the media (Rembeck, Möller, & Gunnarsson, 2006; Roberts, 2004). These beliefs toward menstruation, in turn, can have a detrimental impact on a woman’s body image, ideas on disease etiology, diet, desire to take medication, contraceptive use, and ability to plan a family (Anjum et al., 2010).
Women’s opinions toward menstruation, as well as their behaviors related to it, are the product of a complex mix of cultural ideas, socialization factors, and personal experiences (Morrison, Larkspur, Calibuso & Brown, 2010; Rembeck et al., 2006; Wong & Khoo, 2011). Women’s attitudes toward menstruation can be influenced by their age.
STATEMENT OF PROBLEM
Women are encouraged to avoid various tasks such as cooking, working, praying, and having sexual intercourse when menstruating by culture and religion all over the world because they are considered unclean. Menstruation is viewed as something about which women should always be modest in many civilizations, where, while menarche may be celebrated as a developmental milestone, menstruation is regarded as something about which women should always be quiet. These constraints during menstruation, as well as the secrecy surrounding it, may have a harmful affect on womanhood by mentally abusing women, lowering their self-image and self-esteem, instilling a sense of shame, and undermining the physiological relevance of menstruation. Furthermore, women may wish to assign the source of their shift in attitude and belief to either external or internal factors.
OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY
The purpose of this study was to see how the health locus of control affected three generations of women in Lagos.
The purpose of this study was to look at the differences in menstruation attitudes between three generations of women.
To investigate the trend of three generations of women’s health locus of control.
To see if a woman’s health locus of control is a predictor of her menstrual attitude.
RESEARCH QUESTIONS
Will the locus of control for health have an influence on three generations of women in Lagos?
Will there be a difference in three generations of women’s menstrual attitudes?
Will there be a difference in three generations of women’s health locus of control?
Will a woman’s health locus of control influence her menstrual attitude?
SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY
The following are some of the reasons why this research is important:
It will aid health practitioners in their planning and learning.
It will add to what is already known about menstruation attitudes, especially in Nigeria.
This research will be extremely helpful in reproductive health planning and improving attitudes about women of reproductive age.
SCOPE OF THE STUDY
The focus of this study is on three generations of women’s health locus of control and menstruation attitudes.
The research will take place in Nigeria’s Lagos city.
RESEARCH QUESTIONS
In the Lagos metropolitan, the health locus of control will have an impact on three generations of women.
Three generations of women will have vastly different attitudes around menstruation.
Women’s menstruation attitudes are greatly influenced by their health locus of control.
LIMITATION OF THE STUDY
The current study, like any other empirical endeavor, is bound by the following factors:
Money may be a constraint because this endeavor will necessitate a large sum of money.
Time may be a constraint as well, as there will be limited time to complete the project as well as time for my own requirements.
Menstruation is a very sensitive and intimate part of people’s lives, thus they may not want to discuss it.
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