Assessment of 3rd Grade Junior School Girl Student's Knowledge and Attitude toward Puberty Age Sanitation

Adolescence is a critical period in any individual’s life, and puberty is the most important change within this period. Care for the girls’ health condition is very important because they play a crucial role in fertility and reproduction. Since today’s girls are tomorrow’s mothers and their health is so important. To investigate the junior school girls’ knowledge and attitude toward puberty sanitation in Lahijan, northern Iran, in 1388- 1389. For the purpose of this cross-sectional study, 384 female students in 3rd grade of junior school in Lahijan were selected through random cluster sampling in 1389. Questionnaire was used for data collection and the collected data were analyzed using SPSS software version 16, T test and Ch -square and Pearson correlation coefficient. The average age was 14.08 years and average age variable of menarch was12.3+1.04. Level of awareness was good in the majority (60.41%) and they had a positive attitude toward the puberty. Results showed a significant positive correlation between mothers’ levels of education and their daughters’ awareness (p<0.05) Based on the results of Pearson Correlation coefficient and p<0.05, we understood there was a meaningful relationship between source of awareness and attitude toward puberty sanitation. Also, there was a meaningful relationship between the level of awareness and attitude toward puberty sanitation area, too (p<0.05). The present results demonstrate an improvement in the level of awareness and attitude to psychological and somatic health in puberty period, compared to those during the last decade. Since the source of awareness has been the mothers in the majority of the studied cases, it could be suggested that mothers’ awareness should be promoted and students should be encouraged to consult their teachers, books, journals and the related materials in order to enhance their knowledge about physiologic, psychological and behavioral changes which occur during puberty and thereby to avoid the negative consequences and improve their awareness.