Age at the onset of menopause and its influencing factors in Turkish women in a rural area

This study was performed to identify menopausal age and its determining factors in women over 40 residing in the Dogubeyazit district of Agri, located in Eastern Turkey. This cross-sectional study was performed on a sample of 1,068 women, selected by simple random sampling among all district health center records of women aged 40 and greater, who were each attributed a random serial number. While 35.6% of the subjects had not yet reached menopause, 60.5% had entered it spontaneously and 3.9% surgically. Average age at spontaneous menopause was 47.4 ± 3.7 years and that of surgical menopause 45.1 ± 5.0. Age at marriage, age of last pregnancy, and the age of the subject’s mother at menopause affected menopausal status. Identifying menopausal age and its determining factors may modify the menopausal status of women and their management of the perimenopausal period.     

The effect of couples education on marital satisfaction in menopausal women

ABSTRACT

Inviting husbands to come to terms with women’s adaptation to the phenomenon of menopause is beneficial. The aim of this research was to uncover the effect of couples education on marital satisfaction. This study was performed on 80 menopausal women accompanied by their husbands. The intervention group received four sessions of couples education. The results showed that the mean increase in the rate of marital satisfaction after couples education in the intervention group was significantly higher than the control. Short-term couples education has a significant positive effect on marital satisfaction. Therefore, this counseling strategy can be integrated into health-care programs.     

Attitude Toward Menopause and Aging: A Study on Postmenopausal Women of West Bengal

We examined the attitude of postmenopausal women toward menopause and aging with respect to sociodemographic variables and postmenopausal years. Four hundred and eighty postmenopausal women representing Bengali-speaking Hindu ethnic group of West Bengal, India were interviewed about their attitude toward menopause and aging. Information on sociodemographic and reproductive characteristics and menopausal symptoms were also collected. The participants were categorized into four groups based on postmenopausal years (Group 1: ≤2; Group 2: >2 to ≤5; Group 3: >5 to ≤8; and Group 4: >8). The attitude did not differ significantly among different groups, but it differed significantly when compared for residential status and per capita monthly household expenditure (pooled groups), for residential and educational status (Groups 3 and 4), and per capita monthly household expenditure (Group 3). Hierarchical linear regression (stepwise) shows per capita monthly expenditure, age at menopause, years after menopause, and menopausal symptoms (irritability and inability to hold urine) significantly predict attitude.     

Good Mothers Never Wane: Mothering at Menopause

ABSTRACT

Due to recent feminist scholarship, we know a considerable amount about women's mothering identities and activities, as well as the impact of mothering ideology on individual women. Nonetheless there are gaps in our knowledge about motherhood. For instance, we know mostly about experiences of mothers with young children, and an implicit assumption is that mothers are also fairly young themselves. Yet, what about mothers at midlife and beyond? What about menopausal mothers? This paper represents an initial attempt to explore motherhood experiences of middle-aged menopausal women. Findings presented in this article are based on 45 in-depth interviews with middle-class, heterosexual menopausal women in a midwestern state in 2001. Findings suggest that motherwork and the maintenance of “good” mothering ideology are still primary activities of women at menopause despite assumptions that menopausal women have completed mothering experiences and are now grandmothers (if caregivers at all). In analyzing menopausal mothers, I encourage broader explorations of women's experiences of both motherhood and menopause.     

Socioeconomic Factors in Menopausal Women's Use of Hormone Replacement Therapy

This study examines if education, income, and medical insurance coverage are primary factors in determining whether menopausal women use hormone replacement therapy (HRT). To accomplish this purpose, the author conducted a survey of 62 women between 30 and 60 years of age. These women completed a self-administered questionnaire that provided both quantitative and qualitative information. The results suggest that these socioeconomic factors increase the likelihood that menopausal women will receive treatment with HRT. Implications for clinical practice are discussed.     

Self-Care Strategies of Menopausal Women

ABSTRACT

The purpose of this study was to describe the self-care strategies related to natural menopause used by menopausal women. The Self Care Responses Questionnaire (SCR) was completed by a convenience sample of 99 middle class, mostly Caucasian, married, employed women. The women used many self-care responses, on average, 32 of the 39 possible. The frequently used strategies, “accept changes in my body,” “have faith,” “keep busy,” “educate myself,” and “accept as legitimate,” suggest that these women are successful in their self care related to menopause. Consistent with a women's health perspective, they seemed to view menopause as a developmental phase which they have integrated into their lives.     

Readability of Menopause Web Sites: A Cross-Sectional Study

More women are frequently referring to the Internet for health information, yet the readability of information about menopause on the Internet has not been widely studied. To address this gap, this study examined the readability of information about menopause on 25 Internet Web sites. Findings included that information on the Web sites had a reading level higher than the recommended sixth-grade level, and culturally appropriate health information was lacking. Health educators and practitioners are in a pivotal role to help women understand information useful for healthcare decisions. Several criteria are discussed to help practitioners evaluate Web sites.     

Good mothers never wane: mothering at menopause

Due to recent feminist scholarship, we know a considerable amount about women's mothering identities and activities, as well as the impact of mothering ideology on individual women. Nonetheless there are gaps in our knowledge about motherhood. For instance, we know mostly about experiences of mothers with young children, and an implicit assumption is that mothers are also fairly young themselves. Yet, what about mothers at midlife and beyond? What about menopausal mothers? This paper represents an initial attempt to explore motherhood experiences of middle-aged menopausal women. Findings presented in this article are based on 45 in-depth interviews with middle-class, heterosexual menopausal women in a midwestern state in 2001. Findings suggest that motherwork and the maintenance of "good" mothering ideology are still primary activities of women at menopause despite assumptions that menopausal women have completed mothering experiences and are now grandmothers (if caregivers at all). In analyzing menopausal mothers, I encourage broader explorations of women's experiences of both motherhood and menopause.     

Sexual function and help seeking for urinary incontinence in postmenopausal women

ABSTRACT

Urinary incontinence (UI) is a common condition, especially in middle-aged and older women. UI is known to affect sexual function. Many women with UI do not consult a doctor about their condition. The aim of this study was to determine the relationship of sexual function and help seeking in postmenopausal women with urinary incontinence. This cross-sectional correlation study took place from March to May 2012. The subjects were selected by a clustered sampling method from various zones of Rasht (North of Iran). The data were collected using personal data forms, Questionnaire for Urinary Incontinence Diagnosis, Incontinence Severity Index, and Incontinence Quality of Life questionnaire. Data were analyzed by SPSS17 at the significant level of P < .05 and then were compared by parametric and nonparametric tests. A total of 313 menopausal women aged 45 to 60 years (mean 52.9) were recruited for the study. The mean sexual function score was 31.07 ± 7.52. Only 27.3% of subjects seek care for urinary incontinence. There was a significant correlation between sexual function and help seeking. The results of this study indicate that there is a significant correlation between sexual function and help seeking in postmenopausal women who participated in the present study. Health-care professionals should pay more attention to sexual symptoms of UI and make patients aware of available treatments.     

The Risk of an Unwanted Birth: The Changing Context of Contraceptive Sterilization in the U.S.

Life-table estimates indicate that one-quarter of U.S. women intend no more births by age 25, one-half by age 27, and three-quarters by age 30. The resulting long period at risk of unwanted fertility is argued to be an important underlying dimension of the revolution in attitudes to and practice of sterilization. Life-table estimates are then considered of the timing of sterilization after the last wanted birth. Almost one-quarter of all couples select sterilization within the first year after they have had the number of children they desire. Recent experience would imply that four-fifths of all couples will eventually use contraceptive sterilization. In order to examine the determinants of men's and women's sterilization, logistic regression is used with a polytomous dependent variable: sterilization of the woman, sterilization of the man, or no sterilization within four years of the last wanted birth. Covariates considered are age and parity at last wanted birth, year and duration of marriage at last wanted birth, wife's and husband's education, wife's and husband's religion, whether residence is in a central city, region, pill-use history and timing-failure histories before the last wanted birth, and unwanted birth. Large and significant effects are found for most of these variables, and these effects change in interpretable ways between early innovative behaviour and sterilization during the most recent period when it was widely accepted.     

The effectiveness of a group-based educational program on the self-efficacy and self-acceptance of menopausal women: A randomized controlled trial

This study aimed to assess the effectiveness of a group-based educational training on the self-efficacy and self-acceptance of Iranian menopausal women using the PRECEDE–PROCEED model. This Randomized Controlled Trial (RCT) was conducted on 80 menopausal women in the age range of 47–55 years residing in the northeast of Iran. The participants were divided randomly into a test group (n = 40) and a control group (n = 40). We found that designing and implementation of a group-based educational training according to the PRECEDE–PROCEED model can significantly enhance the knowledge and performance of the test group with regard to self-efficacy and self-acceptance.     

Childhood disadvantages and the timing of the onset of natural menopause in Latin America and the Caribbean

The aim of this study is to investigate the association of early life factors with the timing of the onset of natural menopause in Costa Rica and Puerto Rico. We use Cox proportional hazard models to estimate the risk of the onset of menopause. Our results suggest that socioeconomic disadvantages, as expressed by difficulties attending school due to economic hardships or parents never living together, increase the risk of the onset of natural menopause among Puerto Rican women. Among Costa Rican women, early life nutrition, estimated using anthropometric measures, is related to the timing of the onset of natural menopause.     

Patterns and severity of menopausal symptoms among Jordanian women

We examined 359 women aged 45–65 years who visited Jordan University Hospital between February and November 2014. The menopausal symptoms were assessed using a validated Arabic version of the menopause rating scale. The mean age at menopause was 49.4 years. Women aged 50–55 years more frequently exhibited hot flushes and vaginal dryness. Although premenopausal women were 1.5 times more likely to experience irritability, perimenopausal women were more likely to experience hot flushes, physical and mental irritability, sexual problems, vaginal dryness, and joint and muscular discomfort. Hence, health care providers should focus on women at all stages of life.     

An Ecological Synthesis of Research on Older Women's Experiences of Intimate Partner Violence

Enhanced knowledge and healthy attitudes toward aging sexuality can help promote the perception that full sexual expression is part of the entire extent of adulthood. We sought to determine gynecologists' knowledge and attitude regarding sexuality in older women. A total of 141 gynecologists in five hospitals responded to the survey: Aging Sexual Attitude and Knowledge Scale (ASKAS). No correlation was found between respondents' knowledge and attitude (r = .06, p = .54); no correlation found between respondents' age and knowledge (r = .20, p = .02), but 20% of the variance in attitude could be explained by age (beta 0.20, p = .02). Neither gender, ethnicity, level of training, nor hospital location demonstrated a significant correlation to either knowledge or attitude scores.     

How women experience menopause: the importance of social context

This study analyzes personal accounts of women's menopausal experiences to understand why most women view menopause as an insignificant event, despite negative cultural and medical constructions of menopause as a time of "loss." We analyze 16 in-depth interviews with a diverse sample of women to examine how social contexts affect women's experiences with menopause and the meaning of those experiences. We find that most women view menopause as inconsequential because other events of midlife are more important or stressful to them. However, when cultural and medical contexts are examined, we find that some women do not avoid others' negative constructions of menopause as a time of "loss."     

Effectiveness of coaching for enhancing the health of menopausal Japanese women

We conducted and evaluated a coaching intervention aimed at encouraging menopausal women’s engagement in goal-oriented actions, self-efficacy enhancement, menopausal symptom alleviation, and quality of life improvement. The study was a randomized controlled trial comprising women aged 40–60 who were not receiving hormone therapy. The intervention group received leaflets and three monthly coaching sessions. Instruments included the Simplified Menopausal Index, Medical Outcome Study 36-Item Short Form Health Survey, and goal achievement scale. Participants were measured preintervention, immediately postintervention, and three months postintervention. A 3-month coaching intervention to enhance menopausal women’s health increased their self-efficacy. This effect was not maintained 3 months postintervention.     

A survey of China's birth control among women of child-bearing age

To further implement China's family planning policy of "prevention first, birth control first," a study of the current family planning situation was conducted. A survey of the birth control methods employed by women of childbearing age and by men was based on a nationwide randomized sampling of 1/1000. In the different age groups, ranging from 15-49 years old, IUD users accounted for over 50%, tubal sterilization 25%, and vasectomy 10%. The main IUD users were women in the 20-24 age group. Tubal sterilization was more prevalent among the women in the 35-39 age group. The use of oral contraceptives (OCs) was more common among younger women but accounted for less than 10% of the total. The survey was based on the replies to questionnaires from 172,788 married women of childbearing age; 120,022 of them practiced contraceptive methods for a birth control rate of 69.46%. The breakdown was as follows: IUD, 34.84%; tubal sterilization, 17.63%; vasectomy, 6.94%; OCs, 5.86%; condom users, 1.39%; and other methods (including chemical suppositories, rhythm, or safe period method and withdrawal before ejaculation), 2.78%. There was a higher percentage of OC users in urban areas, and a marked preference for IUDs in the rural communities. The rural birth control rate was 68.58%; the urban rate was 74.17%. The use of the IUD has priority in all the areas; its percentage approaches the national average level. The use of vasectomy as a birth control method varies considerably according to area as does the use of OCs, condom, and tubal sterilization. Rural minority groups prefer the IUD and OCs; tubal sterilization, the condom, and vasectomy are preferred by the Han nationality. The birth control rate differed according to the different occoupation groups: 77.85%, workers; 76.01%, farmers; 85.15%, cadres; 59.52%, housewives; and 66.67%, others. The birth control rate was higher among those who received a college education than the illiterates, but statistics did not show a significant difference in the rate of those with a high school education and the illiterates. Mothers of 0-1 children generally preferred OCs; tubal sterilization was preferred by mothers with 2-3 children. The nonusers of contraception accounted for 30.54% among married women of childbearing age. A breakdown gives the following figures: menopause and infertility, 6.17%; divorced and widowed, 1.64%; planned parenthood, 10.51%; nonusers who should have practiced contraception, 12.22%. On a national level, the estimated number of nonusers of contraception among those who should be practicing contraception comes to about 20,000,000 women.     

Preference for caesarean and attitudes toward birth in a Chilean sample of young adults

BackgroundLittle empirical research exists about what motivates birth mode preferences, and even less about this topic in Latin America, where obstetric interventions and caesareans are some of the highest worldwide.AimTo identify factors associated with caesarean preference among Chilean men and women who plan to have children and to inform childbirth education and informed consent procedures.MethodsAn online cross-sectional survey measuring attitudes toward birth was administered to graduate students at a large public university in Chile. Eligible students were under the age of 40 and had no children but intended to have children. Logistic regression modelling was used to determine which sociodemographic factors, knowledge and beliefs were associated with caesarean preference.FindingsAmong eligible students, 730 responded and 664 provided complete answers to the variables of interest. Respondents had a mean age of 28.8; 38% were male and 62% female. Positive attitude toward technological intervention (Odds Ratio 7.4, 95% Confidence Interval 3.9–14.0), high risk perception of vaginal birth (Odds Ratio 1.8, 95% Confidence Interval 1.1–2.8), family history of caesarean (Odds Ratio 1.9, 95% Confidence Interval 1.0–3.8) and high fear of birth (Odds Ratio 3.7, 95% Confidence Interval 2.0–6.8) were associated with caesarean preference.DiscussionPreference for caesarean birth was highly associated with positive attitudes toward technological intervention and may be related to a lack of knowledge about the realities of caesarean and vaginal birth.ConclusionsPatient-centered education on the relative benefits and risks of birth modes has the potential to influence preferences toward vaginal birth.