Menopausal experience among postmenopausal women in Kuantan, Pahang - A qualitative study

Background: Menopause signifies the beginning of a non-reproductive phase from the reproductive period. Menopausal experiences and symptoms vary across the cultures and countries. It is very imperative to understand how menopause both enriches and challenges women’s lives. Objectives: This st...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Jamani, Nurjasmine Aida, Mohamad Ishak, Nurul Najmi, Abdul Hadi, Azwanis, Abd Aziz, Karimah Hanim, Mohd Arifin, Siti Roshaidai
Format: Conference or Workshop Item
Language:English
English
Published: 2019
Subjects:
Online Access:http://irep.iium.edu.my/73979/
http://irep.iium.edu.my/73979/1/APPCRC%202019%20e-book.pdf
http://irep.iium.edu.my/73979/2/poster%20najmi%202.pdf
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Summary:Background: Menopause signifies the beginning of a non-reproductive phase from the reproductive period. Menopausal experiences and symptoms vary across the cultures and countries. It is very imperative to understand how menopause both enriches and challenges women’s lives. Objectives: This study explored the experience of menopause among women residing in Kuantan, Pahang Methods: A qualitative study was conducted among postmenopausal women in Kuantan, Malaysia. Twenty participants were recruited via social media by using purposive sampling. In-depth interview was undertaken from May 2018 to August 2018, and the data were analyzed by using thematic analysis. Results: Twenty postmenopausal women ranging from 49 to 61 years old participated in the interview. Three themes emerged from the findings which are perception of menopause, self-changes symptoms and help-seeking behavior. Most of them defined menopause as a normal transition process of a women. In dealing with these experiences, the non-pharmacological options were most likely favoured. Conclusion: The majority of women in this study thought that menopause is a natural process which was characterised by positive and negative experiences. They also lacked of knowledge on menopause and its treatment. Understanding these features and their implications to women’s life may aid health care professional in concerting efforts to help their patients’ in dealing with menopause.