Publication:

Knowledge, hygiene practices and health seeking behaviour for leucorrhoea among women university students

Background Leucorrhoea and its awareness, hygiene practices, symptomatology and health consciousness were evaluated among female students at Rama Devi Women’s University. The survey aims to fill knowledge gaps, decrease stigmas and encourage early intervention to improve reproductive health outcomes.

Methods A cross-sectional, web-based questionnaire survey (July 2024 - February 2025) among 356 female students of Rama Devi Women’s University, Bhubaneswar included both qualitative and quantitative demographic data on menstrual hygiene practices, awareness, symptoms and health-seeking behaviour regarding leucorrhoea. Data were analysed using R software (V-4.3.3) for descriptive statistics, correlation analysis, Principal Component Analysis (PCA) along with word cloud generation to visually demonstrate themes from open-text responses.

Results Among the 356 female students (ages 18-25), the majority were unmarried (98%) and from urban areas (68%). Approximately, 38% changed their menstrual products every 4-6 hours and 15% do it once a day. Leucorrhoea awareness was alarmingly low (10%) and 94% lacked formal diagnosis. Strong association (r=0.86) between junk food intake, poor sleep and leucorrhoea symptoms were observed, while poor menstrual hygiene was linked to abnormal discharge and itching. PCA identified clusters of poor hygiene, junk food consumption and low awareness of psychosomatic symptoms, while word cloud showed great interest in menstrual and reproductive health education.

Conclusions This study highlights significant gaps in awareness and health-seeking behaviour relating leucorrhoea with young Indian women. Poor menstrual hygiene and unhealthy lifestyle practices were significantly associated with the incidence of symptoms, yet diagnosis was still very low. The findings indicate the immediate need for further educational strategies as well as stigma reduction. Evidence suggests that a multifaceted combination of awareness, hygiene promotion and early diagnosis is essential for improvements in the reproductive health outcomes.