The University of Bath has been awarded £300k research funding from Wellbeing of Women to address the growing concern of how periods and period pain can impact the school lives of teenage girls in the UK.
Period pain affects 93% of teenage girls, with 36% missing school and 77% struggling to concentrate in class during their period.
The new project is being led by Dr Abbie Jordan, Department of Psychology, with Dr Emma Fisher, Department for Health, Dr Melanie Channon, Department of Social and Policy Sciences, Dr Rebecca Evans, Department of Social and Policy Sciences, and Professor Lucy Bray, from Edge Hill University.
Their research will involve a diverse range of up to 12 secondary schools in the UK to better understand attitudes toward period pain and challenge misconceptions, empowering girls to tackle the barriers.
Findings are expected to improve self-management of period pain and reduce the impacts of adolescent period pain on school engagement. Importantly, it will enhance education on adolescent period pain for girls, boys, parents, caregivers, and school staff.
Dr Abbie Jordan, Department of Psychology, who is leading the research project to improve inclusion of adolescent girls in school life, says:
Periods and period pain make school life harder for so many teenage girls, yet it’s something we rarely talk about. With support from Wellbeing of Women, our research will explore the difficulties that teenage girls face in managing periods at school and identify ways to reduce these challenges.
By working with teenage girls and boys, parents, and schools, we aim to improve knowledge, support, and period pain management. In the longer term, we will create and share educational resources nationally, so teenage girls across the UK feel better supported, can engage fully in school life, and thrive.
Emma Frost, Teacher and Head of Key Stage 5 for Physical Education, Sport and Health, and Social Care at King Alfred’s Academy in Oxford, is part of the Steering Group. She will work collaboratively on the project and says:
As a teacher and staff member with a specific interest in improving adolescent girls’ experiences of menstruation in school settings, I look forward to working with the University of Bath on this essential project to tackle existing barriers and empower adolescent girls.