Menstrual health literacy and self-care practices in culturally and linguistically diverse women

Primary Supervisor: Dr Mike Armour (opens in a new window)

Menstrual pain and mood changes are a common feature of menstruation for women of childbearing age. For instance, primary dysmenorrhea (period pain) affects around three quarters of all women during their reproductive life, and is especially common in young women in their teens and early adult life, with around 90% of Australian adolescents experiencing menstrual pain. In school age and working women across a wide spectrum of social and cultural groups dysmenorrhea causes educational and work absence respectively, with most women seeking over-the-counter pharmaceuticals (e.g., ibuprofen), herbal remedies (e.g., ‘PMS Tea’) and/or non-medical self-care (e.g., hot packs, yoga, meditation). Self-care practices to manage menstrual pain differ across various parts of the world, with cultural background influencing the types of self-care used.

Despite learning about reproductive health, puberty and accessing health and medical care as part of the PDHPE curriculum in Australia, most young women frame period pain as a normal part of becoming a woman, with most of their information about what is ‘normal’ with menstruation coming from their mother. There is evidence to suggest that women from diverse CALD backgrounds may have traditional knowledge and beliefs around menstruation and the menstrual cycle that differ from the current biomedical understanding, and this may impact on their understanding of menstruation, self-care and health literacy around when to seek help for menstrual issues.

Opportunities exist for PhD projects within the scope of this burgeoning area of research. Interested individuals may undertake a PhD exploring a particular CALD group they may be interested in or have a connection to. A mixed methods style PhD would be preferred, using a mixture of quantitative techniques such as surveys to explore broader understandings of menstrual health and self-care, and focus groups or interviews to explore personal and individual experiences of menstruation.