Date Presented 04/03/2025
Addressing menstruation and menstrual hygiene management (MHM) for pediatric clients is within the scope of OT practice. This poster highlights OT practitioners’ perspectives on addressing these needs in the pediatric setting.
Primary Author and Speaker: Glynnis Jones
Additional Authors and Speakers: Rebecca Bellino, Stephanie Hiscock, Alea Luther
PURPOSE: For children and adolescents who menstruate, a part of their daily routine includes addressing menstrual hygiene management (AOTA, 2020). This research aimed to explore pediatric occupational therapy practitioners’ (OTP) experiences with menstruation and menstrual hygiene management (MHM). By addressing the existing gap in the literature, the findings could inform and guide future OT interventions to better meet the needs of pediatric clients facing occupational deprivation related to menstruation (Leader et al., 2018; Trant et al., 2022).
DESIGN: A phenomenological approach was utilized to gain insight on the lived experiences of OT practitioners about addressing the topic of menstruation and menstrual hygiene management in their pediatric practice.
METHOD: 8 occupational therapy practitioners were recruited through purposive and snowball sampling. 1:1 interviews were conducted over Zoom. Data analysis included interview transcription, coding, and development of themes following the six-phase thematic analysis framework by Braun and Clarke (2006).
RESULTS: Six themes emerged from the interviews: addressing the topic in practice, barriers and stigma, advocacy for the profession, within the scope of OT practice, practitioner and family comfortability, and strategies and tools for intervention in practice.
CONCLUSION/ RELEVANCE: It is within the scope of OT practice to address menstruation and menstrual hygiene management with the pediatric population; however, it is often overlooked. The lived experiences of pediatric occupational therapy practitioners from the interviews provide key components to consider when working with pediatric clients who menstruate. These findings initiate the discussion and indicate the need for future research on menstruation and menstrual hygiene management to guide OT practice and to better address pediatric clients’ needs.
References
American Occupational Therapy Association. (2020). Occupational therapy practice framework: Domain and process (4th ed.). American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 74(Suppl. 2), Article 7412410010. https://doi.org/10.5014/ajot.2020.74S2001
Leader, G., Francis, K., Mannion, A., & Chen, J. (2018). Toileting problems in children and adolescents with parent-reported diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder. Journal of Developmental and Physical Disabilities, 30, 307–327 https://doi.org/10.1007/s/10882-018-9587-z
Braun, V. & Clarke, V. (2006) Using thematic analysis in psychology. Qualitative Research in Psychology, 3, 77–101. https://doi.org/10.1191/1478088706qp063oa
Trant, A. A., Vash-Margita, A., Camenga, D., Braverman, P., Wagner, D., Espinal, M., Kisanga, E. P., Lundsberg, L., Sheth, S. S., & Fan, L. (2022). Menstrual Health and hygiene among adolescents in the United States. Journal of Pediatric and Adolescent Gynecology, 35(3), 277–287. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpag.2021.12.014
