[Iranian women's understandings of menopause and cultural scenarios]

Women perceive menopause differently. Beside biological changes, women experience menopause based on the cultural scenarios. The qualitative research presented here is about how Iranian women perceive menopause within cultural scenarios. Data was collected during 4 focus group sessions and 6 individual in-depth interviews of women aged 40 years and older. Informants were selected from the Tehran University of Medical Sciences. The sessions were facilitated by using a semi-structured inventory focus group. Content analysis was adopted using combined free and analytical coding to reduce data, to extract meanings, to categorize domains and to obtain themes. We categorized our findings into four main domains: gender role, the changes in socialization, social interactions and supporting resources. Descriptions of the later domain are going to be reported in subsequent manuscript. The women's understandings of menopause are shaped based on the specific cultural scenarios. Menopause recognized as a factor which changes women's life line. Meanings as 'Loosing femininity' and 'changes in women's roles in the community' describe women's gender role, social interactions and changes in the socialization throughout the menopause years. The women's misconceptions, accumulated myths, and ignorance about femininity were evidenced based on narratives. The majority of women raised 'role change' as an important determinant in social interactions. Gender role changes as well as women's socialization patterns have forced women to accept loosing femininity as a reality. Developing comprehensive and culturally sensitive health services to address women's needs in the climacteric years is suggested

[Postpartum depression and its relation to baby gender and unplanned pregnancy]

Postpartum depression is a disabling illness which can influence in the women's social relationship and their ability to achieve the task of neonatal care. Early diagnosis of depression and recognition of its related factors, preventive and therapeutic measures can be considered which can lead to health of mother, neonate, family and society. The aim of this study was to investigate postpartum depression and its relation to unplanned pregnancy and baby gender in the women who had given birth in community oriented medical clinic of Kermanshah University. This was a cross-sectional study. 531 primiparous women, who had referred to community oriented clinic between 10-40 days after delivery, were included in the study and evaluated for depression. Sampling method was census. Data were collected by use of Edinburgh postnatal Depression scale [EPDS] and an informational form about demographic characteristics, baby gender, planned or unplanned pregnancy and history of depression. SPSS software was used and data were analyzed by means of analytical statistics [chi-square and t-test]. 40.7% of the subjects had postpartum depression. Postpartum depression revealed a significant relationship with unplanned pregnancy and the history of depression [p=0.002], but no significant relationship was found between postpartum depression and neonatal gender. Postpartum depression has a high prevalence in our study affecting approximately 50% of mothers. Therefore screening for postpartum depression should be considered mandatory in postpartum care. Also special measures should be considered for women with unplanned pregnancy and history of depression during pregnancy and postnatal period