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.