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Knowledge, Attitudes, and Behaviors Toward the Menstrual Cycle and Menstruation Among Elite African Women Football Players, Coaches, Health Personnel, and Referees

Nonhlanhla S. Mkumbuzi Orcid Logo, Senanile B. Dlamini Orcid Logo, Andreas Serner Orcid Logo, Katrine Okholm Kryger Orcid Logo, Natalie Brown Orcid Logo, Brianna Larsen Orcid Logo, Fidelis Chibhabha Orcid Logo

Women in Sport and Physical Activity Journal, Volume: 32, Issue: 1, Pages: 1 - 11

Swansea University Author: Natalie Brown Orcid Logo

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DOI (Published version): 10.1123/wspaj.2023-0024

Abstract

Despite cross-cultural differences in knowledge and attitudes toward menstruation, most studies on menstruation in women’s sport have been conducted in high-income countries, such as in Europe, and none have been conducted in Africa. The aim of this study was to explore the knowledge, attitudes, and...

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Published in: Women in Sport and Physical Activity Journal
ISSN: 1063-6161 1938-1581
Published: Human Kinetics 2024
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URI: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa64447
first_indexed 2023-09-06T13:30:11Z
last_indexed 2025-01-09T20:22:31Z
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The aim of this study was to explore the knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors of African elite women football players, and their support personnel toward the menstrual cycle and menstruation. An anonymous questionnaire was distributed to all participants (n&#x2009;=&#x2009;564) at two African women football tournaments. Ultimately, 238 women football players, 44 coaches, 18 health personnel, and 17 referees completed it. From 317 questionnaires analyzed, 17%, 27%, 56%, and 0% of players, coaches, health personnel, and referees, respectively, knew at least one menstrual cycle hormone; 91%, 95%, and 100% of players, coaches, and referees, respectively, did not know at least one menstrual cycle phase. Over 70% of health personnel believed that menstruation negatively affects women&#x2019;s performance in sports compared with 36% of players; 18%, 28%, and 18% of players, health personnel, and referees, respectively, believed that, for convenience, the menstrual cycle should be changed by drugs like contraceptives; and 54%, 61%, 62%, and 40% of players, coaches, health personnel, and referees, respectively, were confident providing advice about the menstrual cycle to teammates. Minimal knowledge of the menstrual cycle has implications on the development of menstrual cycle considerate training environments and educational materials in African women&#x2019;s football. 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spelling 2025-01-02T12:57:59.3352908 v2 64447 2023-09-06 Knowledge, Attitudes, and Behaviors Toward the Menstrual Cycle and Menstruation Among Elite African Women Football Players, Coaches, Health Personnel, and Referees 22c0647f05ef81cb0ce67977c5efdfe4 0000-0003-2369-9881 Natalie Brown Natalie Brown true false 2023-09-06 EAAS Despite cross-cultural differences in knowledge and attitudes toward menstruation, most studies on menstruation in women’s sport have been conducted in high-income countries, such as in Europe, and none have been conducted in Africa. The aim of this study was to explore the knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors of African elite women football players, and their support personnel toward the menstrual cycle and menstruation. An anonymous questionnaire was distributed to all participants (n = 564) at two African women football tournaments. Ultimately, 238 women football players, 44 coaches, 18 health personnel, and 17 referees completed it. From 317 questionnaires analyzed, 17%, 27%, 56%, and 0% of players, coaches, health personnel, and referees, respectively, knew at least one menstrual cycle hormone; 91%, 95%, and 100% of players, coaches, and referees, respectively, did not know at least one menstrual cycle phase. Over 70% of health personnel believed that menstruation negatively affects women’s performance in sports compared with 36% of players; 18%, 28%, and 18% of players, health personnel, and referees, respectively, believed that, for convenience, the menstrual cycle should be changed by drugs like contraceptives; and 54%, 61%, 62%, and 40% of players, coaches, health personnel, and referees, respectively, were confident providing advice about the menstrual cycle to teammates. Minimal knowledge of the menstrual cycle has implications on the development of menstrual cycle considerate training environments and educational materials in African women’s football. Furthermore, the relatively low perceived effect of the menstrual cycle on sporting performance and belief in the use of contraceptives may be attributable to differences in community-level religiocultural and social contexts which influence menstrual experiences, and shape behavioral expectations. Journal Article Women in Sport and Physical Activity Journal 32 1 1 11 Human Kinetics 1063-6161 1938-1581 Africa; athletes; female; period; soccer 1 1 2024 2024-01-01 10.1123/wspaj.2023-0024 COLLEGE NANME Engineering and Applied Sciences School COLLEGE CODE EAAS Swansea University This study was funded by the Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA), Zurich, Switzerland 2025-01-02T12:57:59.3352908 2023-09-06T14:26:25.9706110 Faculty of Science and Engineering School of Engineering and Applied Sciences - Sport and Exercise Sciences Nonhlanhla S. Mkumbuzi 0000-0002-4982-0662 1 Senanile B. Dlamini 0000-0002-7967-0394 2 Andreas Serner 0000-0003-4308-901x 3 Katrine Okholm Kryger 0000-0003-0924-6181 4 Natalie Brown 0000-0003-2369-9881 5 Brianna Larsen 0000-0003-0885-795x 6 Fidelis Chibhabha 0000-0001-7462-5482 7 64447__28619__cf030f6f37b74ef1be850e44ea7d5eb2.pdf 64447AM.pdf 2023-09-22T11:28:54.0802526 Output 423555 application/pdf Accepted Manuscript true false eng
title Knowledge, Attitudes, and Behaviors Toward the Menstrual Cycle and Menstruation Among Elite African Women Football Players, Coaches, Health Personnel, and Referees
spellingShingle Knowledge, Attitudes, and Behaviors Toward the Menstrual Cycle and Menstruation Among Elite African Women Football Players, Coaches, Health Personnel, and Referees
Natalie Brown
title_short Knowledge, Attitudes, and Behaviors Toward the Menstrual Cycle and Menstruation Among Elite African Women Football Players, Coaches, Health Personnel, and Referees
title_full Knowledge, Attitudes, and Behaviors Toward the Menstrual Cycle and Menstruation Among Elite African Women Football Players, Coaches, Health Personnel, and Referees
title_fullStr Knowledge, Attitudes, and Behaviors Toward the Menstrual Cycle and Menstruation Among Elite African Women Football Players, Coaches, Health Personnel, and Referees
title_full_unstemmed Knowledge, Attitudes, and Behaviors Toward the Menstrual Cycle and Menstruation Among Elite African Women Football Players, Coaches, Health Personnel, and Referees
title_sort Knowledge, Attitudes, and Behaviors Toward the Menstrual Cycle and Menstruation Among Elite African Women Football Players, Coaches, Health Personnel, and Referees
author_id_str_mv 22c0647f05ef81cb0ce67977c5efdfe4
author_id_fullname_str_mv 22c0647f05ef81cb0ce67977c5efdfe4_***_Natalie Brown
author Natalie Brown
author2 Nonhlanhla S. Mkumbuzi
Senanile B. Dlamini
Andreas Serner
Katrine Okholm Kryger
Natalie Brown
Brianna Larsen
Fidelis Chibhabha
format Journal article
container_title Women in Sport and Physical Activity Journal
container_volume 32
container_issue 1
container_start_page 1
publishDate 2024
institution Swansea University
issn 1063-6161
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doi_str_mv 10.1123/wspaj.2023-0024
publisher Human Kinetics
college_str Faculty of Science and Engineering
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hierarchy_top_title Faculty of Science and Engineering
hierarchy_parent_id facultyofscienceandengineering
hierarchy_parent_title Faculty of Science and Engineering
department_str School of Engineering and Applied Sciences - Sport and Exercise Sciences{{{_:::_}}}Faculty of Science and Engineering{{{_:::_}}}School of Engineering and Applied Sciences - Sport and Exercise Sciences
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description Despite cross-cultural differences in knowledge and attitudes toward menstruation, most studies on menstruation in women’s sport have been conducted in high-income countries, such as in Europe, and none have been conducted in Africa. The aim of this study was to explore the knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors of African elite women football players, and their support personnel toward the menstrual cycle and menstruation. An anonymous questionnaire was distributed to all participants (n = 564) at two African women football tournaments. Ultimately, 238 women football players, 44 coaches, 18 health personnel, and 17 referees completed it. From 317 questionnaires analyzed, 17%, 27%, 56%, and 0% of players, coaches, health personnel, and referees, respectively, knew at least one menstrual cycle hormone; 91%, 95%, and 100% of players, coaches, and referees, respectively, did not know at least one menstrual cycle phase. Over 70% of health personnel believed that menstruation negatively affects women’s performance in sports compared with 36% of players; 18%, 28%, and 18% of players, health personnel, and referees, respectively, believed that, for convenience, the menstrual cycle should be changed by drugs like contraceptives; and 54%, 61%, 62%, and 40% of players, coaches, health personnel, and referees, respectively, were confident providing advice about the menstrual cycle to teammates. Minimal knowledge of the menstrual cycle has implications on the development of menstrual cycle considerate training environments and educational materials in African women’s football. Furthermore, the relatively low perceived effect of the menstrual cycle on sporting performance and belief in the use of contraceptives may be attributable to differences in community-level religiocultural and social contexts which influence menstrual experiences, and shape behavioral expectations.
published_date 2024-01-01T14:28:45Z
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