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A Visual, Community-Engaged Exploration of Menstrual Practices and Motivations Among Adolescent Girls in Far-West Nepal

Baumann, Sara (2019) A Visual, Community-Engaged Exploration of Menstrual Practices and Motivations Among Adolescent Girls in Far-West Nepal. [Video] (Unpublished)

[img] Video (MP4) (Menstrual practices in far-west Nepal using Collaborative Filmmaking)
Available under License Creative Commons Attribution Non-commercial No Derivatives.
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Abstract

Menstrual health, a growing global public health issue, refers to social, political, structural, educational and environmental factors that affect experiences of menstruation and impact health. Challenges associated with menstruation include the lack of access to materials and sanitation facilities, low knowledge about menstruation, and taboos and stigma that perpetuate unsafe practices. In Nepal, menstrual restrictions are widespread, putting menstruators at risk for poor health outcomes. Menstrual health research and interventions in Nepal must thoughtfully examine practices and beliefs, and propose solutions considering social values and the health and development context.

Arts-based methods and community-engaged approaches are particularly appropriate for investigating sensitive topics such as menstrual health. This dissertation first reviews studies that have applied film methods in public health research. It then introduces a novel, visual, community-engaged research method called Collaborative Filmmaking. Finally, it presents the results from applying Collaborative Filmmaking to study menstruation in Nepal.

Results from the review identified 15 film methods used in public health, which offer numerous methodological strengths such as providing rich descriptions, capturing emic perspectives, increasing comfort in participation, and empowering participants. Collaborative Filmmaking is a six-step method that builds upon these strengths. Adopting a community-engaged approach, participants of Collaborative Filmmaking are trained to create, analyze, and screen their own films in the community. Piloting Collaborative Filmmaking in far-west Nepal provided nuanced, sensory insight into menstrual practices and motivations among adolescent girls. An array of menstrual practices related to cleansing, cooking, eating and drinking, touching, worshipping, sleeping, and maintaining physical distance were uncovered. The practices fell along a continuum and varied by caste/ethnic and religious background. Motivations for following menstrual practices included religious and spiritual beliefs, family tradition, negative consequences, and social pressure.

This dissertation contributes to both visual methods and menstrual health scholarship. Collaborative Filmmaking is an effective method for engaging participants in exploring a sensitive topic, generating nuanced data, and is powerful for disseminating results. In terms of menstrual health, this dissertation extends the literature by describing key differences in menstrual practices among girls from different caste/ethnic and religious groups in Nepal for consideration in future interventions and polices.

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Details

Item Type: Video
Status: Unpublished
Creators/Authors:
CreatorsEmailPitt UsernameORCID
Baumann, Sarasab269@pitt.edusab2690000-0002-6544-2825
Contributors:
ContributionContributors NameEmailPitt UsernameORCID
Committee ChairBurke, Jessicajgburke@pitt.edujgburkeUNSPECIFIED
Co-directorJoshi, KabitaUNSPECIFIEDUNSPECIFIEDUNSPECIFIED
Co-directorLuhar, IndraUNSPECIFIEDUNSPECIFIEDUNSPECIFIED
Co-directorBohara, ParbatiUNSPECIFIEDUNSPECIFIEDUNSPECIFIED
Co-directorKuwar, NiruUNSPECIFIEDUNSPECIFIEDUNSPECIFIED
Co-directorSarki, NarmaUNSPECIFIEDUNSPECIFIEDUNSPECIFIED
Co-directorThapa Magar, KalpanaUNSPECIFIEDUNSPECIFIEDUNSPECIFIED
Co-directorLuhar, RabinaUNSPECIFIEDUNSPECIFIEDUNSPECIFIED
Date: 25 July 2019
Schools and Programs: School of Public Health > Behavioral and Community Health Sciences
Uncontrolled Keywords: menstruation, menstrual health, Nepal, chhaupadi, chhaupadi, menstrual hut, women, women's health, caste, ethnicity, Asia
Date Deposited: 25 Jul 2019 16:21
Last Modified: 25 Jul 2019 16:21
URI: http://d-scholarship.pitt.edu/id/eprint/37201

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