Use of evaluation tools to evaluate symptoms and changes in climacteric women in the Czech Republic and abroad

Abstract

Aim: The paper surveys empirical research on the use of evaluation tools with the purpose of evaluating symptoms and changes in climacteric women in the Czech Republic and other countries. In order to evaluate the range of individual symptoms, a great number of standardized questionnaires and measuring scales have been created, which are logically designed for clear statistic evaluation, and are used on a global scale to measure the severity of disorders, or quality of life of women. Design: A literature review. Methods: In outline, the article is an overview making use of content analysis of studies published in scientific databases, e.g. EBSCO, PubMed, ProQuest, and ScienceDirect, during the years 2012 to 2018. The overview focuses on articles dealing with the use of evaluation tools in connection with menopause. After screening for eligibility, 25 articles were eventually analyzed. Results: Following analysis of the results of foreign empirical research, it was apparent that the most common evaluation tool for defining the types and level of symptoms in climacteric women was the Menopausal Rating Scale. Besides this tool, other tools, such as the Greene Climacteric Scale, the Kuperrman index, the Menopause-Specific Quality of Life Questionnaire, the Women's Health Questionnaire, and the Utian Quality of life Scale were used in this field. Two studies focusing on the Czech Republic were analyzed. The standardized tool used in these cases was the Menopausal Rating Scale. Conclusion: A number of foreign studies have been conducted regarding climacteric women monitoring symptoms and changes in psychological condition and behaviour, and changes in their cognitive and emotional states, or evaluating their quality of life. However, only two such studies have been undertaken in the Czech Republic.