The effect of parental attachment on menstrual attitude in adolescents

This descriptive and cross-sectional study was conducted to determine the effect of parental attachment on menstrual attitudes in adolescents. The study was carried out between February and June 2024, and the population consisted of female students attending public high schools in the Yüreğir district of Adana, Turkey. The sample included 441 female students from 9th to 12th grades in the 2023–2024 academic year who had experienced menstruation, had living parents, spoke Turkish, and provided written parental consent to participate. Data were collected through face-to-face interviews using the "Personal Information Form," the "Parental Attachment Scale (Mother and Father forms)," and the "Menstrual Attitude Questionnaire (MAQ)." Descriptive statistics, t-test, one-way ANOVA, and Pearson correlation analysis were used to analyze the data. The mean total score of the adolescents on the MAQ was 2,83 ± 0,23. The mean parental attachment score was 45,46 ± 6,92 for mothers and 44,13 ± 7,05 for fathers. It was determined that there was no statistically significant difference between the sociodemographic characteristics of adolescents and their scores on the MAQ (p > 0.05).Significant differences were found between maternal attachment and variables such as the mother's education level, number of cohabitants, family type, and income status (p<0.05). Similarly, significant differences were observed between paternal attachment and variables including age, number of cohabitants, family type, income status, and parental marital status (p<0.05). However, no statistically significant relationship was found between menstrual attitudes and parental attachment (p>0.05). In this study, it was found that adolescents generally had a positive attitude toward menstruation and demonstrated high levels of attachment to both their mothers and fathers.