Table 2
Hygiene practices and educational effects surrounding sanitary products

Reference	Topic	Study design	Country	Study sample	Results
Ahn & Kim (2008) [52]	Daily usage	CS	South Korea	132	Menstrual pad usage was related to a number of discomforts including unpleasant smell, and adverse effects such as an itching feeling and skin rash.
Shah et al. (2013) [53]	Hygiene practices	F	India	164	Subjects who received reusable pads showed higher participation in schoolwork and reduced fear in garment soiling, reporting to feel more comfortable.
Mucherah & Thomas (2017) [54]	Hygiene practices	CS	Kenya	150	Subjects who had reached menarche with pads showed better outcomes in school attendance, grades etc. compared to those who had reached menarche without them.
Anand et al. (2015) [55]	Hygiene practices	CS	India	577758	Inappropriate hygiene practices were closely related to vaginal discharge and reproductive tract infections with high statistical evidence, respectively.
Hennegan et al. (2017) [56]	Education	CC	Uganda	27	Puberty education elicited improvement in girls' confidence to openly talk about menstruation, as well as additional support from teachers.
Mason et al. (2013) [57]	Education	F	Kenya	120	Before intervention, most of the subjects coped with menarche by themselves employing unhygienic methods.

All of the studies in the Table 2 were conducted through interview which is a self-reported exposure such as questionnaire.
CS, cross-sectional study; F, follow-up study; CC, case-control study.