Surveying Knowledge and Attitude of Women about Menopause in Rasht, 1998.

Abstract

Abstract: Introduction: Menopause is a developmental event in the life of a woman. It is a transitional period where significant physiological a psychosocial changes occur. The success with which woman cope with the changes menopause brings will rely heavily upon their understanding of the physiological occurrences they experience, and their perception of themselves as “the change” happens. It is important for health care professionals to understand women’s attitudes and knowledge toward menopause in planning for teaching them about this life event. So researcher has considered a research with the title of surveying knowledge and attitude of women toward the climacteric in Rasht very essential. Methods & Materials: This research is a descriptive survey and from knowledge and attitude type. At first 19 Health care centers in Rasht city were chosen with cluster Random sampling method. Then 440 women aged 4.-60, were selected by the systematic Random Sampling method. Data were collected by means of a questionnaire consisting of three parts (Personal- Social characteristics, statements about the knowledge and attitude). Results: The findings are presented in 44 tables and 6 charts. Further descriptive and deductive statistics were employed. Results showed that 57.3% of women had Middle knowledge, 9.1% low knowledge and 33.6% high knowledge about the physiological changes of the climacteric period. In relation to psychological changes, 40.9% had Middle Knowledge, 27.3% low knowledge and 31.8% high knowledge. Also, the majority of woman had positive attitudes toward the physiological (70%) and Psychosocial (86.6%) changes of the climacteric period. Discussion: Overall, the majority of woman had positive attitude toward the physiological changes of the climacteric, however, the knowledge of the majority of them were lower than desired limits. Therefore the results of this study could help health responsible and midwives to make training courses to raise the health knowledge and improvement of negative or incorrect attitudes of women.