Behavioural Interventions for Menstrual Hygiene Independence in Girls and Women With Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities: A Structured Narrative Review.

BACKGROUND

Menstrual hygiene management is a critical self-care skill supporting independence, autonomy and dignity for girls and women with intellectual and developmental disabilities; yet it has received limited focused instructional research.

METHOD: This structured narrative review synthesised peer-reviewed studies evaluating behavioural interventions to increase independent menstrual hygiene skills. Seven eligible studies were identified and descriptively analyzed for instructional methods, intervention agents, outcomes and social validity.

RESULTS

Behavioural interventions incorporating prompting, chaining, reinforcement and task analysis were generally associated with improvements in menstrual hygiene performance. However, intervention approaches, participant outcomes and assessment methods varied across studies, and the magnitude and consistency of improvement differed across participants and instructional conditions.

CONCLUSIONS

The available literature suggests that behavioural interventions may support menstrual hygiene skill acquisition among girls and women with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Although improvements were reported across studies, participant outcomes varied. Future research should prioritise person-centred approaches and a more comprehensive assessment of maintenance, generalisation and social validity outcomes.