Relationship Between Menstrual Health Knowledge and School Attendance of Adolescent Girls in Nasarawa State

This study examines the relationship between menstrual health knowledge and school attendance patterns among adolescent girls in Nasarawa State, North Central Nigeria. Menstrual health management has emerged as an important dimension of adolescent developmental wellbeing, with evidence suggesting that inadequate knowledge and access to sanitary facilities contribute to school absenteeism and dropout among Nigerian girls. This research adopted a descriptive correlational design and recruited 340 female students in JSS2 to SS2 from eight co-educational schools in Lafia and Keffi. Menstrual health knowledge was assessed using a validated Menstrual Health Literacy Scale, and school attendance data were obtained from school registers covering the three preceding terms. Pearson correlation and independent samples t-tests were applied. Results indicate a significant positive relationship between menstrual health knowledge and school attendance rates. Girls with adequate menstrual health knowledge were significantly less likely to miss school during their menstrual period compared to those with limited knowledge. Access to functional toilets with locks at school was identified as the strongest environmental predictor of attendance during menstruation, above and beyond knowledge levels. The study recommends that the Nasarawa State Ministry of Education implement mandatory menstrual health education in the junior secondary health curriculum and prioritise toilet infrastructure upgrades in schools serving adolescent girls. Keywords: menstrual health, school attendance, adolescent girls, Nasarawa State, sanitation.