The Menstrual Practice Needs Scale (MPNS-36) is a 36-item measure of perceived menstrual hygiene, concerns, needs, and practices among girls in school. The scale includes 6 sub-scales: Material and home environment needs; Transport and school environment needs; Material reliability concerns; Change and disposal insecurity; Reuse needs; and Reuse insecurity.
Geographies Tested: Uganda
Populations Included: Female
Age Range: Adolescents, Adults
Material and home environment needs
1. My menstrual materials were comfortable.
2. I had enough of my menstrual materials to change them as often as I
wanted to.
3. I was satisfied with the cleanliness of my menstrual materials.
4. I could get more of my menstrual materials when I needed to.
5. I felt comfortable carrying spare menstrual materials with me outside my home.
6. I felt comfortable carrying menstrual materials to the place where I
changed them.
7. I felt comfortable storing my menstrual materials until my next period.
8. I was able to wash my hands when I wanted to.
9. I was able to immediately dispose of my used menstrual materials.
10. I was able to dispose of my used materials in the way that I wanted to.
11. When at home, I was able to change my menstrual materials when I
wanted to.
12. When at home, I was satisfied with the place I used to change my
menstrual materials.
13. When at home, I had a clean place to change my menstrual materials.
Transport and school environment needs
14. I felt comfortable carrying spare menstrual materials with me outside my
home.
15. I felt comfortable carrying menstrual materials to the place where I
changed them.
16. When at school, I was able to change my menstrual materials when I
wanted to.
17. When at school, I was satisfied with the place I used to change my
menstrual materials.
18. When at school, I had a clean place to change my menstrual materials.
Material reliability concerns
19. I worried that my menstrual materials would allow blood to pass through to
my outer garments.*
20. I worried that my menstrual materials would move from place while I was
wearing them.*
21. I worried about how I would get more of my menstrual material if I ran out.*
Change and disposal insecurity
22. I worried about where to dispose of my used menstrual materials.*
23. I was concerned that others would see my used menstrual materials in the
place I disposed of them.*
24. When at home, I worried that I would not be able to change my menstrual
materials when I needed to.*
25. When at home, I worried that someone would harm me while I was
changing my menstrual materials.*
26. When at home, I worried that something else would harm me while I was
changing my menstrual materials (eg, animals, insects, unsafe structure).*
27. When at school, I worried that I would not be able to change my menstrual
materials when I needed to.*
28. When at school, I worried that someone would see me while I was
changing my menstrual materials.*
Reuse needs
29. I had enough water to soak or wash my menstrual material.
30. I had access to a basin to soak or wash my menstrual materials whenever I needed it.
31. I was able to wash my menstrual materials when I wanted to.
32. I had enough soap to wash my menstrual materials.
33. I was able to dry my materials when I wanted to.
Reuse insecurity
34. I worried that someone would see me while I was washing my menstrual materials.*
35. I worried that my menstrual materials would not be dry when I needed them.*
36. I worried that others would see my menstrual materials while they were drying.*
*Items are reverse scored
Response Options:
Never - 0
Sometimes - 1
Often - 2
Always - 3
Items are averaged to create a scale. Higher scores on the scale indicate more positive menstrual practice experiences.
Hennegan, J., Nansubuga, A., Smith, C., Redshaw, M., Akullo, A., & Schwab, K. J. (2020). Measuring menstrual hygiene experience: Development and validation of the Menstrual Practice Needs Scale (MPNS-36) in Soroti, Uganda. BMJ Open, 10, e034461. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2019-034461
Psychometric Score
Ease of Use Score
Qualitative Research
Existing Literature/Theoretical Framework
Field Expert Input
Cognitive Interviews / Pilot Testing
Internal
Test-retest
Interrater
Content
Face
Criterion (gold-standard)
Construct
Readability
Scoring Clarity
Length
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