Cognizance about menopause among women and its importance, a short descriptive study in Baluwatar

Abstract

Introduction: Globally with the increasing life expectancy, there is growing population of elderly women living after experiencing menopause and thus exposed to potential long term consequences of menopause. According to literature, at least 60% of women suffer from mild symptoms, 20% suffer severe symptoms and 20% are asymptomatic¹. Literature shows variations in reported symptoms in women across regions; Asian women suffer less vasomotor and psychological symptoms than Western women². This study was conducted to determine knowledge, attitude and practice toward menopause among women in Nepal. The most implication of this finding is to help to develop menopausal care guideline and provide information to health educators to design a course on menopause.

Methods: This study was descriptive cross sectional study carried out in Kathmandu metropolitian city, Baluwatar, ward no-4, icchunadi marga, Kathmandu district of Nepal where the respondents (N-380) to assess their awareness of menopause and its importance and effects on health. In addition, the data were collected by using structured questionnaire with the use of simple Nepali language on consent of respondents. Computer software SPSS version 15 was used to scrupulous analysis of study.

Results: 96% participants knew that menopause is the developmental process and every women gets menopause. Majority of respondents (94%) knew that female would not be able to reproduce after menopause, 90% of respondents said the correct age of menopause and 74% of them were agreed regarding the need of education for family member about menopause. The lowest percentage of respondents (32%) knew that smoking may affect menopause. Majority of respondents 56% knew symptoms of irregular bleeding, 30% of respondents had headache, 28% with irritability, 24% with loss of sexual interest and only 22% of respondents knew hot flushes and night sweating. In addition, family is the most effective source of information. In this study, 64% participants had heard about menopause from their family, followed by friends 28%, and lowest sources of information were the school/college 6% and health personnel 2%. Likewise, majority of respondents 74% consulted the doctor for perimenopausal symptoms whereas minority of the respondents 2% consulted friends.

Conclusion: Under several myths and taboo relating to menopause in our country, majority of women mainly of rural and even urban areas feel dejected and dispirited and make sometime life miserable with 

lack of knowledge of menopause. With increasing life expectancy, women spend 1/3rd of life in this phase, thus knowledge and awareness is vital point in every aspect. Thus the present study seems to be of small scale study, but, may have higher impact to invoke the researcher out there to do large scale study, to create new syllabic for students of college or at higher level management policy maker to take it seriously on the health of women who is backbone of family and thus country, Nepal.