Bridging the Awareness Utilisation Gap in Reusable Menstrual Product Use Among Female Medical Students and Healthcare Professionals: A Cross-Sectional Study

BackgroundReusable menstrual products provide sustainable and cost-effective alternatives to disposable sanitary products; however, their adoption remains limited, even among healthcare professionals. ObjectivesTo assess awareness, knowledge, perceptions, and utilisation of reusable menstrual products among female medical students and healthcare professionals, and to identify predictors of willingness and use. DesignCross-sectional analytical study. SettingAn online survey was conducted among female medical students and healthcare professionals in Nigeria. ParticipantsA total of 203 female respondents aged 15-55 years. InterventionNot applicable. Primary Outcome MeasuresUtilisation of reusable menstrual products and willingness to adopt their use. Secondary Outcome MeasuresAwareness, knowledge, perceptions, and barriers. MethodsData were collected using a structured questionnaire and analysed using descriptive statistics, chi-square tests, and logistic regression. ResultsAwareness was high (96.06%), but utilisation was low, with 5.42% ever using and 4.43% currently using reusable products. About 31.53% were willing to use them. Respondent type was not associated with willingness (p = 0.735), although healthcare professionals had higher knowledge (p = 0.024). Positive perception predicted willingness (AOR = 7.58, 95% CI: 3.18-18.03, p < 0.001). Good knowledge (AOR = 14.96, p = 0.014) and increasing age (AOR = 1.28, p = 0.004) predicted utilisation. ConclusionDespite high awareness, utilisation remains low. Perception influences willingness, while knowledge drives use. Targeted behavioural and educational interventions are needed. Article SummaryStrengths and limitations of this study O_LI- This study used a cross-sectional design with a structured questionnaire to assess awareness, knowledge, perceptions, and utilisation of reusable menstrual products among healthcare trainees and professionals. C_LIO_LI- The inclusion of both medical students and healthcare professionals enabled comparison across groups with differing levels of clinical exposure. C_LIO_LI- The use of multivariable logistic regression allowed identification of independent predictors of willingness and utilisation. C_LIO_LI- The study employed convenience sampling and an online survey, which may limit the representativeness of the sample. C_LIO_LI- Data were self-reported, which may introduce recall and social desirability bias. C_LI