Attitudes toward menopause among middle-aged women in Semnan, Iran

ABSTRACT

The menopause marks a major biological transition in the lives of all women.Understanding the attitude of women about menopause facilitates the implementationof public health policies that focus on improving women's health. This study wasdesigned to determine the attitude of a group of Iranian women toward menopausewith respect to sociodemographic variables and menopausal status.A cross-sectional study was conducted at Primary Health Centers of Semnan during2012. A total of 747 women aged 45-60 years were interviewed Sociodemographiccharacteristics and attitude toward menopause were collected through a structuredpretested questionnaire. The attitude scale consisted of 17 questions, each rated ona five-point Likert scale with a total score of 85 points.The mean [ +/- SD] age of women was 51.3 [ +/- 4,5] years. Women were classified aspremenopausal [38.4%], perimenopausal [16.9%], and postmenopausal [44.8%].he majority of respondents [63.5%] were illiterate or have had low level of education [<9 years], and 86.3% were unemployed. The mean [ +/- SD] attitude score was 53.3 [ +/- 6.8]. Most of the women [71%] had neutral attitude, 22,8% had positive, and only6.3% had negative attitude toward menopause. Menopausal status, educational level,marital status, place of residency, and employment were not associated with women'sattitude. In general, women's attitude toward menopause ranged from neutral to positive. Theattitude did not differ significantly on the basis of menopausal status, educational level,marital status, place of residency, and employment