Data collection tools
A four-section questionnaire was filled out using the face-to-face interview method, which was applied to volunteer participants who agreed to participate in the study. Patients receiving hormone replacement therapy, Spironolactone, selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor, or antidepressant therapy were not included in the study.
Sociodemographic Information Form: The questionnaire, which contains the introductory information about the person, consists of 8 questions about their age, marital status, income level, level of education, and menopausal status.
Menopause Knowledge and Awareness Form : The literature on the subject was scanned and prepared by the researchers. In this form, which consists of 10 questions about knowledge and awareness concerning menopause, the total menopause knowledge and awareness score was calculated by giving 1 point for correct answers, and 0 points for false answers and those answered: “I don’t know”. The first 5 questions in the form measure general information about menopause and the last 5 questions measure the awareness that the woman has of her own menopause period.
Menopause Attitude Assessment Scale: The Menopause Attitude Assessment Scale (ATMS) was developed by Uçanok (1994) to measure the attitudes of women of different age groups towards menopausal life and its aftermath.12 There are 2 positive and 18 negative expressions on the scale. For positive statements, 0 points are given to the ”I strongly disagree” response, 1 point to the ”I disagree” response, 2 points to the ”neutral” response, 3 points to the ”I agree” response, and 4 points to the ”I strongly agree” response. In negative statements, this scoring is implemented in the opposite direction. The lowest score on the scale is zero, and the highest score is 80. A high score obtained from the scale shows a positive attitude towards menopause, while a low score shows a negative attitude. It is accepted that the attitude is more positive as the scores increase above the average score 40. The Cronbach Alpha coefficient of the scale is 0.86.
Menopause Rating Scale: The Menopause Rating Scale (MRS) was developed by Schneider et al. to measure the severity of menopausal symptoms and was adapted to Turkish by Gürkan (2005) in Turkey.9 In the Likert-type scale, which consists of a total of 11 items containing menopausal complaints, there are ”0 = None”, ”1 = Light”, ”2 = Medium”, ”3 = Severe” and ”4 = Very severe” options for each item. The total score of the scale is calculated based on the scores given for each item. The lowest score that can be obtained is 0 and the highest score is 44. The increase in the total score taken from the scale shows an increase in the severity of the complaints experienced.