The Relationship Between Knowledge Of Menopause And Attitude Toward Menopause In Adult Women Attending A Private Rural Clinic In An Eeast Central Mississippi County

Problem: Postmenopausal women were commonly prescribed hormone replacement therapy, thought to be cardio-protective, when the 2002 results of the Women's Health Initiative (WHI) reported increased risks of coronary artery disease, stroke, and breast cancer. Since then, menopausal women have been concerned and confused about the use of hormones and often choose no hormone therapy or seek alternative treatments options because they are ill informed. Researchers have shown that women who have menopause knowledge, positively correlated with positive attitudes regarding menopause. Purpose and Scope: The purpose of this study was to describe attitudes toward menopause in a selected faith-based community women's ministry before and after an educational program regarding menopause. Goal: The goal of this project was to educate 45 to 65 year old women about the common changes women experience in menopause and the current treatment options available. This education will increase their knowledge of menopause thus improving their attitudes and perceptions regarding menopause. Objectives: First, to describe demographic characteristics of women within a selected faith-based community women's ministry. Second, to describe pre-intervention self-awareness regarding attitudes toward menopause by women within a selected faith-based community women's ministry. Third, to describe post-intervention self-awareness regarding attitudes toward menopause by women within a selected faith-based community women's ministry. Fourth, to measure changes in a self-awareness attitudes toward menopause before and after an educational intervention. Plan: Phase One: Conducted a needs assessment by evaluating current evidence regarding menopause, women's perceptions of menopause and recommended treatment options. Phase Two: Developed an educational intervention regarding menopause and current recommended treatment options. Phase Three: Implemented an evidence based menopause education intervention for a projected sample. Phase Four: Evaluated women's attitudes toward menopause before and after an educational intervention using the Attitude Toward Menopause. Outcomes and Results: Using a triangulated interventional research design, results of the pre-intervention and post-intervention measures revealed a modest mean score increase in self-awareness attitudes toward menopause in women within a selected faith-based community women's ministry. Moreover, reliability estimates based on internal consistency for the study instrumentation achieved significance, as compared with previous demonstrated reliability by Battistoni.