Nearly 20 per cent of women and girls in south Asia abstain from regular daily activities during periods, according to a study published in The Lancet Global Health journal.
The study found that overall, 15 per cent of girls and women in low- and middle-income countries do not take part in daily activities while menstruating. In west and central Africa, prevalence of menstruation-related absences were the second highest at 18.5 per cent.
Researchers, including those from the University of Melbourne, Australia, also found that girls aged 15-19 years are the most affected, with over 17 per cent not participating in regular daily activities while menstruating.
The study analysed survey data collected during 2017-2023 from households across 44 countries. Over 6,73,300 women and girls aged 15-49 years were included in this analysis.
"The overall pooled prevalence of menstrual-related absenteeism was 15 per cent, with prevalence being highest in south Asia and west and central Africa," the authors wrote.
They found that household wealth or the use of menstrual products, such as sanitary pads or tampons, were not related with menstruation-related absence.
However, having a private place to wash at home was associated with a higher prevalence of menstrual-related absence, as women and girls could "better meet their menstrual health needs at home compared with outside the home".
Further, the researchers also found that using contraceptives, especially hormonal methods, reduced absences during menstruation for women of all ages, suggesting that symptoms such as heavy bleeding or pain could be keeping women away from pursuing daily activities.
The findings provide new evidence to inform future menstrual health research and public health interventions, the authors said.
They suggested that missing daily activities during menstruation can interfere with a woman's quality of life and contribute to gender inequalities.
The team called for future research to better understand absences related to menstruation, and concrete action that could help improve the quality of lives of menstruating women around the world.
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