Instruments for assessing menstrual literacy in the school setting: scoping review
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.29352/mill0223e.45430Keywords:
health literacy; menstruation; students; schoolsAbstract
Introduction: Menstruation is associated with stigma and misinformation. Promoting menstrual literacy is essential for physical, emotional, and social well-being.
Objective: To map, within the scientific evidence, validated, reliable, and context-specific instruments for assessing students’ menstrual literacy in school settings, as well as their applications and limitations.
Methods: Scoping Review, in accordance with the Joanna Briggs Institute methodology, with a three-step structured search: an initial search in the EBSCO and PubMed databases; a subsequent search in Scopus, Web of Science, EBSCO, and PubMed; and searches of grey literature (Google Scholar) and reverse searching to review references cited in the included articles. Records were imported into Zotero® for duplicate removal and then exported to Rayyan®. The results were presented in a flow diagram following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR). Data were screened by two independent reviewers.
Results: Seventy articles were identified, and only one met the eligibility criteria. The instrument—the Ovulatory Menstrual Health Literacy Questionnaire—assesses menstrual and ovulatory health literacy. It demonstrated face validity and test–retest reliability. However, by focusing on knowledge and skills related to the ovulatory cycle, the questionnaire overlooks dimensions such as menstrual management, barriers, and stigma.
Conclusion: Gaps were identified in the literature regarding assessment instruments for students’ menstrual literacy. Strengthening research in this area is essential to guide educational interventions and to underpin policies that promote menstrual literacy.
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References
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