Objective:

To examine menarche as a culturally patterned silent transition influenced by Islamic modesty norms and mother-daughter communication, and to explore implications for culturally responsive interventions aimed at enhancing menstrual readiness in rural Indonesia.

Approach:

Key Findings:

• Islamic modesty norms negatively impacted menstrual readiness, indicating a need for targeted interventions (β = −0.21, p < 0.001).
• Mother-daughter communication positively influenced menstrual readiness, highlighting its importance in educational programs (β = 0.43, p < 0.001).
• Communication partially mediated the relationship between modesty norms and readiness, suggesting a complex interplay (indirect β = −0.14, p < 0.001).
• High modesty norms weakened the positive effect of communication, indicating a barrier to effective support.
• Menarche was often experienced as silent and private, focusing on rules rather than emotional support, which calls for a shift in communication strategies.

Interpretation:

Menarche is shaped by cultural norms of modesty and the quality of mother-daughter communication, highlighting the need for supportive communication to enhance menstrual readiness.

Limitations:

• The study is limited to a specific cultural context in rural Indonesia, which may not be generalizable to other settings.
• The reliance on self-reported data may introduce bias, and cultural interpretations may affect qualitative findings.

Conclusion:

Strengthening emotionally supportive communication within Islamic values is essential to enhance menstrual readiness and reduce stigma in culturally responsive interventions.

Attribution Notice

This content is an AI-generated, fully rewritten summary based on a published scholarly article. It does not reproduce the original text and is not a substitute for the original publication. Readers are encouraged to consult the source for full context, data, and methodology.