Abstract

This community based cross sectional study was conducted with the objectives of studying dietary behavior and misconceptions, during menstruation among unmarried girls in Chandigarh, during April 08 to March 09. Stratified Multistage Random Sampling Design with probability proportional to size (PPS) technique was used and 744 respondents were selected. House-to-house surveys was conducted to collect the desired information by personal interview method. Informed consent following Ethical Guidelines of World Medical Association Declaration of Helsinki was taken. Data analysis was done by using SPSS-16 Software. Results showed several dietary misconceptions regarding avoidance of fruits, milk, rice, sugar, green leafy vegetables etc. Milk with turmeric was the most common food item to be used in excess during menstruation reported by 119 (15.9%) respondents. Non-vegetarian were never used by (38.3%) respondents while about (50%) respondents consumed eggs almost daily. The study concludes that unmarried girls in Chandigarh have a number of dietary misconceptions, which in turn may have several long terms consequences on their reproductive lives. There is an urgent need of imparting health education not only to girls but to mothers too. Dietary suggestions during menstruation in the form of eating plenty of whole grains, fresh fruits and vegetables, and avoiding saturated fats and commercial junk foods are helpful.