Menstruation experiences and subjective sports performance of female senior high school athletes in Ajumako District.

Abstract

Variations in sports performance caused by menstruation have piqued curiosity and sparked debate in recent years. This study sought to consider the relationship between menstruation and subjective sports performance among senior high school female athletes in the Ajumako district. A cross-sectional survey design and questionnaire was used to gather data for this study. A total of 200 student female athletes were sampled using the census technique. Data was analyzed through descriptive, Pearson r, and multiple linear regression. Findings from the study revealed that the majority of the respondents have low knowledge levels regarding menstruation (N=80, 44.2%) with satisfactory practice in terms of hygiene and sports. There exists a positive relationship between athletes‘ knowledge and practice regarding menstruation (r=.268) and only 17% of the variability in female athlete‘s sports performance can be attributed to the Physical and Psychological effects of menstruation R2 = .17, F (2,178) =1.56, p=.013. However, the Physical and Psychological effects of menstruation were significant in predicting sports performance (β = -.044; p = .021) and (β = -.107; p = 0.036) respectively. It was concluded that menstruation has a significant effect on sports performance. It was therefore recommended that stakeholders such as physical education teachers, sports coaches, sports professionals, chaperones among others should receive training on how to tailor training regimens and competition schedules to accommodate the physical and psychological fluctuations that can occur during menstruation.