초등학교 5, 6학년 학생의 초경 경험과 월경 태도 관계

Abstract

[한글]본 연구는 초등학교 5, 6학년 학생의 초경 경험과 월경 태도를 확인하고 이들의 관계를 규명하여 월경관련 교육의 기초자료를 제공하기 위해 실시된 서술적 조사연구이다.연구 대상은 경기도 포천시 소재 4개 초등학교에 재학 중인 5, 6학년 여학생 489명이고, 연구 도구는 대상자의 일반적 특성 20문항, 초경 경험 24문항월경 태도 28문항 등 72문항으로 구성되었다. 자료수집 기간은 2006년 10월 30일부터 11월 10일까지였고, 수집된 자료는 SPSS12.0을 이용하여 서술적 통계 및 t-test, ANOVA, 적률상관계수로 분석하였다.연구결과를 요약하면 다음과 같다.첫째, 본 연구대상자의 특성은 평균 12.2세이고, 어머니의 학력은 고졸이상이 88.4%였다. 대상자중 초경을 경험한 아동은 33.5%였고, 이들 중 초경 시 의논대상으로는 어머니가 79.3%, 월경통이나 불편감을 느끼는 경우는 67.7%였다. 월경지식의 출처가 교사였던 대상자는 16.0%에 불과했다. 월경관련 지식은 0~10점 범위 중 6.09점이었다.둘째, 대상자의 일반적 특성에 따른 초경관련 정서는 유의한 차이를 보이는 요인이 없었고, 초경관련 지지는 어머니가 고졸미만인 집단(21.38점)보다 고졸이상인 집단(24.75점)이 유의한 차이가 있었다(t=-2.239, p). 월경지식 출처가 어머니 집단이 교사 집단보다 유의하게 높았다. 일반적 특성에 따른 월경 태도를 살펴보면 월경 태도가 양부모와 동거한 집단(66.05점)이 기타 집단(55.40점)보다 유의하게(t=7.66, p) 긍정적이었다.셋째, 초경 경험과 월경 태도의 상관관계를 살펴보면 초경관련 정서가 긍정적일수록(r=.430, p), 초경관련 지지가 긍정적일수록(r=.238, p) 월경 태도도 긍정적이라는 순 상관관계를 나타냈다. 본 연구결과 긍정적인 정서와 지지가 높을수록 긍정적인 월경 태도를 갖게 됨이 발견되었다.이상의 결과로 제언하면 초등학생을 위한 월경관련 성교육 시 초경관련 정서와 지지를 긍정적으로 유도하는 내용이 포함되어야 하며, 양부모와 동거하지 않는 집단을 위험집단으로 보고 이들이 긍정적인 월경 태도를 가질 수 있는 초경관련 정서와 지지 교육이 우선되어야 할 것이다.

[영문]The purpose of this descriptive study was to survey elementary 5th and 6th graders' experience of menarche and menstrual attitude and thereupon, analyze the relationship between such experience and attitudes to provide for some basic data useful to education on menstruation for elementary children.For this purpose, the researcher sampled 489 5th and 6th graders enrolled in 4 elementary schools in Pocheon city, Gyeonggi Province. The questionnaire designed by the researcher consisted of 72 items: 20 about children's demographic variables, 24 about their experience of menarche and 28 about menstrual attitude. The data were collected from October 30 through November 10, 2006, and the collected data were processed using the SPSS 12.0 program for descriptive statistics, t-test, ANOVA and Pearson's correlation coefficients.The results of this study can be summarized as follows;First, the sample children were aged 12.2 on average, and 88.4% of their mothers had graduated from high schools. 33.5% of the children had experienced their menarche, and 79.3% of this group had consulted their mothers about menstruation, while 67.7% of them had felt pain or inconveniences due to menstruation. Teachers accounted for only 16.0% of their information sources about menstruation. Children's knowledge about menstruation scored 6.09 on average on the 10-point scale.Second, children's affect involving their experiences of menarche did not differ significantly depending on their demographic variables, and mothers' support for children's experience of menarche differed significantly between the mothers who had graduated from high schools (21.38) and those with higher academic background (24.75). (t=-2.239, p=.035). Mothers were playing a role as information source about menstruation significantly more (24.86) than teachers (20.50). (f=4.156, p=.017). As a result of analyzing differences of children's menstrual attitude depending on their demographic variables, it was found that those children living with both parents showed significantly (t=7.66, p=.000) more positive attitudes (66.05) towards menstruation than the other children (55.40).Third, as a consequence of analyzing the correlation between children's experience of menarche and menstrual attitude, it was disclosed that the more positive their affect involving their menarche was (r=.430, p=.000) and the more positive the support to menarche was (r=.238, p=.002), menstrual attitude was more positive. Namely, affect and support were correlated positively with menstrual attitude.The above findings may suggest that the education on sex including menstruation for elementary students should include the ways to induce positive affect and support with regard to their menarche, and that a special education program on affect and support with regard to children's menarche should be urgently operated for the children not living with both parents or the risky group more vulnerable to menstruation experiences.