[Knowledge of menstrual health issues among male workers in relation to their age, job position, and marital status].

Abstract

Objectives　Female workers have various work-related challenges associated with menstrual health. A prior study has revealed that 50% of surveyed females reported a lack of understanding of menstrual health issues in their workplace. To date, only a few studies have evaluated menstrual health knowledge among male workers. This study aimed to examine the relationship between knowledge of menstrual health issues among male workers and their basic attributes (age, job position, and marital status), as well as implications for occupational health practice.Methods　A self-administered, anonymous survey was conducted between August 7 and August 28, 2023 among male workers in two manufacturing establishments in Fukushima Prefecture. The survey included demographic questions and assessed knowledge of menstruation-related topics, such as the presence of health issues before and during menstruation, menstrual abnormalities, and social trends. Participants were requested to select, "know" or "don't know", for each item. Participant demographics and knowledge of menstruation were evaluated using descriptive statistics, and the associations between knowledge of menstruation and basic attributes were analyzed using chi-square tests and residual analysis.Results　Of the 311 distributed questionnaires, 190 were returned (response rate: 61.1%), and 165 were included in the analysis. More than 70% of the respondents were familiar with health issues appearing before and during menstruation, and menstrual abnormalities, including "becoming angry", "heavy bleeding", and "amenorrhea". However, only 20% of the respondents were aware of menstrual health issues such as "itching", "sweating", and "hot flashes". Approximately 70% of the respondents did not identify "prolonged menorrhea" as a menstrual abnormality, and 90% were unaware of social trends related to menstruation. Age of the respondents was associated with the presence or absence of knowledge of menstrual health issues. Teen-aged respondents were aware of "increased appetite", and respondents in their 20s identified "breast tenderness", "sleepiness", and "increased appetite". Respondents in their 50s were less aware of menstrual health issues such as "sleepiness" or "increased appetite", and those in their 60s were not aware of "breast tenderness" or "increased appetite". Additionally, managers demonstrated knowledge about "becoming angry", "heavy bleeding", "lower abdominal pain", "difficulty concentrating", and "sweating". A significant association was observed only between knowledge of "hot flashes" and marital status.Conclusions　Most respondents were aware of the common health issues associated with menstruation. However, many were unaware of the less common menstrual health issues, menstrual abnormalities, and social trends associated with menstruation. Further studies are required to identify effective measures for improving menstrual knowledge among male workers.