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Women's knowledge and awareness on menopause symptoms and its treatment options remains inadequate: a report from the United Arab Emirates. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2021; 28:918-927. [PMID: 33973540 DOI: 10.1097/gme.0000000000001783] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES We aimed to evaluate the awareness, knowledge, and perception of middle-aged women regarding menopause and hormone therapy (HT). METHODS This observational study was conducted on pre-, peri-, post-, and surgically menopausal women (n = 591) from January 2020 until June 2020 in Dubai. A structured questionnaire was developed based on previous literature to assess participants' knowledge and awareness of menopause and HT. The questionnaire was implemented by face-to-face interview. Factors associated with the degree of menopausal knowledge were identified. RESULTS Majority (498, 82%) of participant women had fair to poor overall knowledge on menopause, did not know whom HT is used for (404, 48%), and for whom it is contradicted (455, 77%). Knowledge on menopause and HT was highly associated with better attitudes (P < 0.001 and P < 0.001, respectively).Furthermore, the greater the knowledge on menopause, the better the knowledge of HT (P < 0.001). Education was the primary factor that played a significant role in having better knowledge or attitudes. Nationality showed an association with better attitudes on menopause, with non-Arabs having better attitudes than Arabs and UAE nationals. CONCLUSIONS Community medicine educators and primary healthcare providers need to prepare tailored premenopausal and postmenopausal educational interventional programs for further educating women and preparing them for this phase of their lives.
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Alshogran OY, Mahmoud FM, Alkhatatbeh MJ. Knowledge and awareness toward menopause and hormone therapy among premenopausal women in Jordan. Climacteric 2020; 24:171-178. [PMID: 32914657 DOI: 10.1080/13697137.2020.1813099] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Menopause is a natural important transition in women's life. Having adequate knowledge and perception about menopause at a young age is critical for women to cope better with its associated consequences and improve their well-being. OBJECTIVE This study evaluated the awareness, knowledge, and perception of menopause and menopause hormone therapy (MHT) among premenopausal females from Jordan. METHODS A cross-sectional study including females aged 20-40 years (n = 450) was conducted from November 2018 to March 2019 in two hospitals in Irbid, Jordan. A structured questionnaire was developed based on previous literature and using the Green Climacteric Scale to assess participants' knowledge and awareness of signs and symptoms of menopause and MHT. Data were collected by face-to-face interview. Factors associated with the degree of menopausal knowledge were identified. RESULTS The mean ± standard deviation age of participants was 29.1 ± 6.3 years. More than half of participants were knowledgeable about several aspects of menopause. Education to college or more was significantly and positively associated with knowledge about menopause (β = 0.504, p = 0.005). The majority of participants did not know the roles, benefits, and risks of MHT. There was an almost equal distribution for participants' positive (47.6%) and negative (50%) attitudes toward menopause. CONCLUSIONS The findings suggest that premenopausal females in Jordan are knowledgeable about various aspects of menopause. Nevertheless, there is still a need to develop educational programs and implement proper counseling to improve young females' awareness about menopause, particularly its health implications and treatment options.
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Affiliation(s)
- O Y Alshogran
- Department of Clinical Pharmacy, Faculty of Pharmacy, Jordan University of Science and Technology, Irbid, Jordan
| | - F Mz Mahmoud
- Department of Clinical Pharmacy, Faculty of Pharmacy, Jordan University of Science and Technology, Irbid, Jordan
| | - M J Alkhatatbeh
- Department of Clinical Pharmacy, Faculty of Pharmacy, Jordan University of Science and Technology, Irbid, Jordan
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Smail L, Jassim GA, Sharaf KI. Emirati Women's Knowledge about the Menopause and Menopausal Hormone Therapy. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2020; 17:E4875. [PMID: 32640704 PMCID: PMC7369704 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph17134875] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/18/2020] [Revised: 07/02/2020] [Accepted: 07/03/2020] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
The aim of this study was to investigate the knowledge of Emirati women aged 30-64 about menopause, menopausal hormone therapy (MHT), and their associated health risks, and additionally, to determine the relationships between Emirati women's knowledge about menopause and their sociodemographic and reproductive characteristics. A community-based cross-sectional study was conducted of 497 Emirati women visiting five primary healthcare centers in Dubai. Data were collected using a questionnaire composed of sociodemographic and reproductive characteristics, menopause knowledge scale (MKS), and menopause symptoms knowledge and MHT practice. The mean menopause symptoms knowledge percentage was 41%, with a standard deviation of 21%. There were significant differences in the mean knowledge percentage among categories of education level (p < 0.001) and employment (p = 0.003). No significant differences in the knowledge percentages were found among categories of menopausal status. "Pregnancy cannot occur after menopause" was the statement with the highest knowledge percentage (83.3%), while the lowest knowledge percentages were "risk of cardiovascular diseases increases with menopause'' (23.1%), "MHT increases risk of breast cancer'' (22.1%), and "MHT decreases risk of colon cancer'' (13.9%). The knowledge of Emirati women about menopause, MHT, and related heart diseases was very low; therefore, an education campaign about menopause and MHT risks is needed to improve their knowledge for better coping with the symptoms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Linda Smail
- Department of Mathematics and Statistics, Zayed University, Dubai 19282, UAE;
| | - Ghufran A. Jassim
- Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland-Medical University of Bahrain, Busaiteen 15503, Bahrain;
| | - Khawla I. Sharaf
- Department of Mathematics and Statistics, Zayed University, Dubai 19282, UAE;
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Opinions and main sources of information about menopause among middle-aged Brazilian women. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2019; 26:1154-1159. [PMID: 31313742 DOI: 10.1097/gme.0000000000001378] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES The aim of this study was to evaluate women's opinions about menopause and the sources of information they use to deepen their understanding of the topic. METHODS Population-based study with 749 Brazilian women aged 45 to 60 years. The answers to the question "What is menopause?" were typed and coded, and categories that emerged from the interviewees' own speech were created. The answers to the question: "Where or from whom did you get information about menopause?" were also analyzed. RESULTS The mean age of women was 52.5 (± 4.4) years. Of them, 68% were postmenopausal. According to 67.5% of the interviewees, the concept of menopause encompassed changes in the menstrual cycle and hormones. For 48%, menopause meant physical changes such as "hot flushes and vaginal dryness." For 22.7%, menopause represented psychological changes. The concept of menopause was associated with some change in sexuality for 7.6% of the interviewees. Approximately 18% could not explain what menopause meant. Regarding the sources of information, 44.5% of the women attributed this knowledge to friends and relatives. Doctors or health services were mentioned by 44.3% of women. Television or radio was cited by 22.0%; magazines, newspapers, or books were cited by 14.0%; and the Internet was cited by 6.8% of women. Fifty-two women (6.9%) reported having no source of information about menopause. CONCLUSIONS Most of the interviewees relate the term "menopause" to physiological events. There seems to be a suppressed demand for information on the various aspects of the menopausal transition among middle-aged Brazilian women.
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Factors associated with knowledge about menopause and hormone therapy in middle-aged Brazilian women: a population-based household survey. Menopause 2018; 25:803-810. [DOI: 10.1097/gme.0000000000001087] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
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Hammoudeh D, Coast E, Lewis D, van der Meulen Y, Leone T, Giacaman R. Age of despair or age of hope? Palestinian women's perspectives on midlife health. Soc Sci Med 2017; 184:108-115. [PMID: 28525780 DOI: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2017.05.028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2016] [Revised: 05/09/2017] [Accepted: 05/10/2017] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
There is limited evidence about women's experiences of the midlife, beyond a narrow - frequently biomedical - focus on the menopause. The broader (physical, social, cultural, political) dimensions of women's midlife health are poorly understood, particularly in low and middle-income countries. Our study seeks to understand how women in the West Bank (occupied Palestinian territories) conceptualise, experience and manage their health in the midlife. We generated qualitative evidence using in-depth life history interviews in 2015 with women (n = 35) living in the West Bank, analysed thematically. Women's understandings of good health draw on indigenous and biomedical knowledge and include a calm psychological state, ease of movement, as well as physical appearance and complexion. Exposure to political violence was understood as impacting mental and physical well-being. Most women articulated a positive view about midlife and ageing as a natural process. A range of terms and expressions were suggested by women experiencing this transition, internalised differently according to marital and motherhood status. For many women, the menopause was merely one - often relatively unimportant - aspect of changes associated with ageing. In dealing with midlife health issues women used multiple strategies, or health pluralism, sequentially or simultaneously; drawing on multiple sets of accrued resources. For never-married or childless women, formal healthcare services represented a site of social exclusion. Our evidence highlights the importance of considering the broader dimensions related to midlife health for understanding women's health maintaining and care-seeking behaviours as they age.
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Affiliation(s)
- Doaa Hammoudeh
- St Antony's College, Oxford University, UK; Institute of Community and Public Health, Birzeit University, West Bank, Palestine
| | - Ernestina Coast
- London School of Economics, Houghton Street, London WC2A 2AE, UK.
| | - David Lewis
- London School of Economics, Houghton Street, London WC2A 2AE, UK
| | - Yoke van der Meulen
- Institute of Community and Public Health, Birzeit University, West Bank, Palestine
| | - Tiziana Leone
- London School of Economics, Houghton Street, London WC2A 2AE, UK
| | - Rita Giacaman
- Institute of Community and Public Health, Birzeit University, West Bank, Palestine
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Menopause in the workplace: What employers should be doing. Maturitas 2015; 85:88-95. [PMID: 26857886 DOI: 10.1016/j.maturitas.2015.12.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 64] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2015] [Accepted: 12/12/2015] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Large numbers of women transition through menopause whilst in paid employment. Symptoms associated with menopause may cause difficulties for working women, especially if untreated, yet employers are practically silent on this potentially costly issue. This review summarises existing research on the underexplored topic of menopause in the workplace, and synthesises recommendations for employers. Longstanding scholarly interest in the relationship between employment status and symptom reporting typically (but not consistently) shows that women in paid employment (and in specific occupations) report fewer and less severe symptoms than those who are unemployed. Recent studies more systematically focused on the effects of menopausal symptoms on work are typically cross-sectional self-report surveys, with a small number of qualitative studies. Though several papers established that vasomotor (and associated) symptoms have a negative impact on women's productivity, capacity to work and work experience, this is not a uniform finding. Psychological and other somatic symptoms associated with menopause can have a relatively greater negative influence. Physical (e.g., workplace temperature and design) and psychosocial (e.g., work stress, perceptions of control/autonomy) workplace factors have been found to influence the relationship between symptoms and work. Principal recommendations for employers to best support menopausal women as part of a holistic approach to employee health and well-being include risk assessments to make suitable adjustments to the physical and psychosocial work environment, provision of information and support, and training for line managers. Limitations of prior studies, and directions for future research are presented.
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Faye A, Ka O, Nickiema C, Leye MM, Tal-Dia A. Knowledge regarding signs and complications of menopause among women in Burkina Faso. Int J Gynaecol Obstet 2014; 124:257-9. [PMID: 24388480 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijgo.2013.09.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2013] [Revised: 09/23/2013] [Accepted: 12/06/2013] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Adama Faye
- Institute of Health and Development, Cheikh Anta Diop University, Dakar, Senegal; University of Montreal, Montreal, Canada.
| | - Ousseynou Ka
- Gerontology and Geriatrics Center of Ouakam, Dakar, Senegal
| | - Christelle Nickiema
- Institute of Health and Development, Cheikh Anta Diop University, Dakar, Senegal
| | - Mouhamadou M Leye
- Institute of Health and Development, Cheikh Anta Diop University, Dakar, Senegal
| | - Anta Tal-Dia
- Institute of Health and Development, Cheikh Anta Diop University, Dakar, Senegal
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Murphy MM, Verjee MA, Bener A, Gerber LM. The hopeless age? A qualitative exploration of the experience of menopause in Arab women in Qatar. Climacteric 2013; 16:550-4. [PMID: 23374139 DOI: 10.3109/13697137.2013.771330] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE The aim of this study was qualitatively to describe and examine the expectations and experiences of the midlife transition in Arab women living in Qatar. METHOD Six focus groups were conducted with Arab women living in Qatar: three groups of local Qatari women, and three groups of non-Qatari Arab women originating from neighboring countries. A purposive sample of 41 pre-, peri-, and postmenopausal women aged 40-60 years participated. The semi-structured group format encouraged discussion around knowledge about menopause; physical, emotional and social experiences related to menopause; and cultural differences that may exist related to menopause. RESULTS The majority of women considered menopause as a maturing experience, although the term 'menopause' was considered to have negative connotations. Postmenopausal women described menopausal symptoms consistent with general knowledge, but many premenopausal women were unaware of symptoms, even if they knew someone who had experienced menopause. Postmenopausal women were more socially active than before and were able to participate in religious activities that they previously could not attend during menses. How a woman experienced menopause depended on the husband's level of support, and some women believed that Western women did not have the appropriate support from husbands and families that Arab women have; they felt this lack of support could lead to negative outcomes such as being at an increased risk for suicide caused by depression during menopause. CONCLUSION Qatari and non-Qatari women had many similarities in how they perceived and experienced menopause, although they collectively believed that the experiences of Western women are different.
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Affiliation(s)
- M M Murphy
- Weill Cornell Medical College, Department of Public Health , New York, New York , USA
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Tao M, Teng Y, Shao H, Wu P, Mills EJ. Knowledge, perceptions and information about hormone therapy (HT) among menopausal women: a systematic review and meta-synthesis. PLoS One 2011; 6:e24661. [PMID: 21949743 PMCID: PMC3174976 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0024661] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2011] [Accepted: 08/16/2011] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Background The use of hormone therapy (HT) by menopausal women has declined since the Women's Health Initiative randomized trial (WHI) in 2002 demonstrated important harms associated with long-term use. However, how this information has influenced women's knowledge and attitudes is uncertain. We aimed to evaluate the attitudes and perceptions towards HT use, as well as specific concerns and information sources on HT since the WHI trial. Method/Results We did a systematic review to assess the attitudes and knowledge towards HT in women, and estimate the magnitude of the issue by pooling across the studies. Using meta-synthesis methods, we reviewed qualitative studies and surveys and performed content analysis on the study reports. We pooled quantitative studies using a random-effects meta-analysis. We analyzed 11 qualitative studies (n = 566) and 27 quantitative studies (n = 39251). Positive views on HT included climacteric symptom control, prevention of osteoporosis and a perceived improvement in quality of life. Negative factors reported included concerns about potential harmful effects, particularly cancer risks. Sources of information included health providers, media, and social contact. By applying a meta-synthesis approach we demonstrate that these findings are broadly applicable across large groups of patients. Conclusions Although there are clear hazards associated with long-term HT use, many women view HT favorably for climacteric symptom relief. Media, as a source of information, is often valued as equivalent to health providers.
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Affiliation(s)
- MinFang Tao
- Department of Gynecology, Shanghai Jiaotong University, Affiliated Sixth People's Hospital, Shanghai, China.
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Alwi SARS, Rubiah ZS, Lee PY, Mallika PS, Haizal MNM. Experience of hormone replacement therapy among women of Sarawak, Malaysia. Climacteric 2009; 13:553-60. [DOI: 10.3109/13697130903470319] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022]
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