Abstract
Objective: This study aimed to determine the menopausal
awareness and knowledge levels of women aged 40–65 in the climacteric
period, and examine the symptoms of menopause and the relationship with
their attitudes towards menopause.
Method: Included in this study were 224 women, who applied to
Obstetrics and Family Medicine outpatient clinics. The Sociodemographic
Information Form, Menopause Information and Awareness Form, Menopause
Attitude Assessment Scale (ATMS), and Menopause Rating Scale (MRS) were
applied to the participants.
Results: Of the participants, 71.0% had gone through
menopause, whereas 21.0% had not, and 8.0% did not know whether they
had gone through menopause or not. The mean age of the women who had
gone through menopause was 47.79±4.5 years. While the mean ATMS score
was 43.97±10.93, 37.9% of the women had a negative attitude (40 points
and below). The mean MRS somatic complaint score was 6.43±3.74, the mean
psychological complaint score was 6.21±4.09, and the mean urogenital
complaint score was 3.88±2.65. There was a moderately significant
negative correlation between their ATMS scores and their
menopause-related psychological complaints (r=–0.317,
p<0.001). As their positive attitude towards menopause
increased, their psychological complaints decreased. As their awareness
of menopause increased, their psychological complaints decreased.
Conclusion: Increased awareness of menopause provided a
decrease in the psychological complaints of menopause. In the study, it
was seen that the attitudes of the women about menopause were an
effective variable in the emergence of menopause complaints. Improving
the attitudes of the women towards menopause is important in reducing
menopausal symptoms.
Keywords: Menopause, Climacteric period, Knowledge, Attitude