Pattern of Puberty Related Health Problems in the Adolescent Girls Consulting Physicians

Abstract

Introduction:  At adolescence the girls may face many health problems such as irregular menstruation, dysmenorrhea, obesity, acne, hair fall etc. The present study aims to deal with the puberty related health problems of the adolescent girls.

Objectives: To ascertain the prevalence and pattern of puberty related health problems among the adolescent girls consulting physicians and to assess the self made efforts and practices done by the adolescent girls consulting physicians to resolve their puberty related health problems.

Methodology: It was a hospital based cross sectional study carried out among 100 adolescent girl patients reported at gynecology OPD, PGIMER, Chandigarh recruited through purposive sampling concurrently over a period of one year (Jan 2018 to Dec 2018). The data collection was done through a self-administered, semi-structured questionnaire and data analysis was done in MS Excel and Epidata statistical software.

Results: The mean age at menarche of the respondents was 12.62 years. Majority (84%) of the respondents came with the problem of PCOS and irregular periods accompanied with acne and hirsutism. Only 44 girls used to practice some sort of physical activity in the form of P.T, stretching exercises, yoga and meditation. 67% of the respondents did not ever try to modify their diet.

Conclusion:  PCOS was the major problem reported by the adolescent girl patients visiting gynecology OPD. It is a lifestyle disease which can be resolved by following appropriate self-managing lifestyle modification measures. Hence, there is a need to evolve effective strategies to inculcate self management skills in the girls.