Menstrual health and hygiene (MHH): a bibliometric analysis
Global Knowledge, Memory and Communication
ISSN: 2514-9342
Article publication date: 29 November 2023
Abstract
Purpose
Menstruation poses psycho-physiological challenges globally due to a lack of awareness, unhygienic practices and social stigma. This paper aims to assess the existing body of research on menstrual health and hygiene (MHH) worldwide.
Design/methodology/approach
This study focuses on seminal works published in the Scopus Database from 1946 to 2023 for extensive bibliometric analysis, involving 756 bibliographic records analyzed through Biblioshiny and VOSviewer software. The authors use thematic analysis to identify core research themes and sub-themes, coupled with a critical review of the most highly cited articles within each thematic category.
Findings
The research into MHH has consistently grown since 2010, with a notable surge in the past five years. Among all countries, the USA emerges as the most active contributor, boasting the highest number of publications and citations. In terms of organizations, The London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine takes the lead with 54 articles. Further, PLOS ONE and Waterlines were the most productive and influential journals, respectively. The thematic analysis identifies key research foci, including tampons, menstrual health, sanitation, hygiene and bleeding.
Research limitations/implications
Further research could be initiated in areas of menstrual education and awareness, menstrual product safety and effectiveness and menstrual disorders and treatments to address the concerns especially encountered by women from developing countries.
Originality/value
This research provides a comprehensive analysis of 77 years of MHH research, offering valuable insights into key areas of concern and guiding future research directions, ultimately addressing critical global health challenges.
Keywords
Acknowledgements
Funding: The author(s) received no financial support for the research, authorship and/or publication of this article.
Ethical statement: Our research is not involving any human/animal/plant as subject. The study is purely secondary and qualitative in nature. Therefore, there are no ethical conflicts/concerns related to this study.
Citation
Pandey, N., Desul, S., Patra, R.K. and Sethy, M. (2023), "Menstrual health and hygiene (MHH): a bibliometric analysis", Global Knowledge, Memory and Communication, Vol. ahead-of-print No. ahead-of-print. https://doi.org/10.1108/GKMC-07-2023-0234
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
Copyright © 2023, Emerald Publishing Limited