Experience Of Menopausal Symptoms Research Articles

Designing, validation and evaluation of the expert system of “Healthy Menopause” and assessing its effect on the management of menopause symptoms: an exploratory mixed method study protocol

BackgroundMenopause is a period of women’s life that has the especial physical, psychological and social challenges. So provision of an effective, practical and affordable way for meeting women’s related needs is important. In addition, women should be able to incorporate such programs into their daily work. Considering the dearth of suitable services in this regard, this study will be conducted with the aim of designing, validating and evaluating the “Healthy Menopause” expert system on the management of menopausal symptoms.Methods/designA mixed methods exploratory design will be used to conduct this study in 3 phases. The first phase is a qualitative conventional content analysis study with purposes of exploring the women’s experience of menopausal symptoms and extracting their needs, and collecting data about their expectations from a healthy menopause expert system.. The purposive sampling (In his phase data will be gathered through interviewing menopaused women aged 40 to 60 years old and other persons that have rich information in this regard and will be continued until data saturation. The second phase includes designing a healthy menopause expert system in this stage, the needs will be extracted from the qualitative findings along with a comprehensive literature review. The extracted needs will be again confirmed by the participants. Then, through a participatory approach (Participatory Design) using nominal group or Delphi technique the experts’ opinion about the priority needs of menopaused women and related solutions will be explored based on the categories of identified needs. Such findings will be used to design a healthy menopause expert system at this stage. The third phase of study is a quantitative research in which the evaluation of the healthy menopause expert system will be done through a randomized controlled clinical trial with the aim of determining the effect of the healthy menopause expert system on the management of menopause symptoms by menopausal women themselves.DiscussionThis is the first study that uses a mixed method approach for designing, validating and evaluating of the expert system “Healthy Menopause”. This study will fill the research gap in the field of improving menopausal symptoms and designing a healthy menopause expert system based on the needs of the large group of menopause women. We hope that by applying this expert system, the menopausal women be empowered to management and improving their health with an easy and affordable manner.

MENOPAUSAL SYMPTOM EXPERIENCE OF MID-LIFE WOMEN FAMILY CAREGIVERS OF PERSONS LIVING WITH ALZHEIMER’S DISEASE

Abstract Midlife women experience a wide range of menopausal symptoms. Such symptoms may be different in midlife women who are family caregivers of persons living with chronic disease, particularly Alzheimer’s disease. Because the cultural stigma of dementia differs among racial/ethnic minority groups, midlife minority women tend to feel burdened with family caregiving and report negative health outcomes compared with White women. This study aimed to explore the racial/ethnic differences in menopausal symptom experienced by midlife women who were family caregivers of persons living with Alzheimer’s disease (MWPLAD). A secondary data analysis was conducted using the data of a cross-sectional online survey among 172 MWPLAD. Self-report questionnaires including the Midlife Women’s Symptom Index were used to gather the data on the women’s sociodemographic characteristics, health-related information, and menopausal symptom experience. Descriptive statistics, one-way analysis of variance and multiple linear regression were adopted for the data analysis. There were significant racial/ethnic differences in midlife women’s symptoms in the total scores (total frequencies and severity scores) and individual sub-scale scores. Psychological symptoms were reported to be more prevalent in Asian MWPLAD than in other racial/ethnic groups. After controlling for race/ethnicity, several factors were associated with the menopausal symptoms experienced by MWPLAD, such as household income, history of obstetrics and gynecology diseases, underweight, and restriction to perform daily activities. Our study findings support the racial/ethnic differences in menopausal symptoms experienced by MWPLAD. More culturally competent interventions should be established considering the significant factors that differently affect the women’s menopausal symptom experience in different racial/ethnic groups.

Patients' experience of menopausal symptoms post-chemotherapy treatment for gestational trophoblastic neoplasia

PurposeWe aimed to explore patient's experience of chemotherapy-induced menopausal symptoms; to ascertain how patients tried to alleviate their symptoms and how health professionals supported them in order to identify current unmet needs. MethodsWe designed a retrospective cross-sectional exploratory study of a sample of 11 women who received multi-agent combination chemotherapy for Gestational Trophoblastic Neoplasia. Postal surveys using the Greene Climacteric Scale (GCS) questionnaire followed up by semi-structured telephone interviews were used. Framework analysis technique was used to generate descriptions of patient's experiences. ResultsSymptoms of feeling tired or lacking in energy, loss of interest in sex, muscle and joint pains and difficulty in concentrating affected participants the most. The menopausal symptoms appear to be temporary; symptoms such as hot flushes and night sweats seem to subside with resumption of menses. Others are more gradual with some evidence that mental health takes longer to recover. Regarding potential symptoms, some women do not retain the information given to them at discharge following end of treatment, which GTD services need to take into consideration when supporting patients. ConclusionPatients need to be more optimally prepared for post-chemotherapy recovery with each patient's needs and support being individually tailored. How information is discussed and disseminated needs improving to ensure patients retain the information they receive at discharge. Recommendations include the creation of menopause information booklet, alongside further developing virtual nurse-led follow up clinics post chemotherapy.

“I can't be dealing with this brain fog”: A workplace focus group study investigating factors underpinning the menopausal experience for NHS staff

ObjectivesMultiple studies highlight that individuals undergoing menopause are not receiving sufficient support at work. An improved menopausal experience in the workplace has been found to be associated with increased job satisfaction, increased economic participation and reduced absenteeism. This work was undertaken to explore the impact of menopause on the working lives of NHS staff working in Wales, with specific emphasis on their experience of menopausal symptoms and management strategies in the workplace. Study designThis was a qualitative study using semi-structured focus groups and thematic analysis. 14 women working in the NHS in Wales attended four focus groups, lasting up to 1.5 h. Stem questions focused on participants' positive and negative experiences in the workplace, and their receipt of support. Transcripts were analysed using the framework approach. ResultsThree major themes were identified: experiences of menopausal symptoms and symptom management, the impact of menopause on work and the impact of work on the menopause. Menopause symptom experience in the workplace was multifaceted and varied, depending on factors such as ongoing or past symptom experience, expectations, social support and effectiveness of management strategies. Inconsistent information was highlighted as a reason why some participants felt confused both about the symptoms that they could attribute to the menopause and the management strategies available to them. A variety of symptom management strategies had been used by participants, including hormone replacement therapy, flexible working hours, working from home, changes to uniform, peer support and lifestyle changes, with varying levels of success. Some women were reticent to ask for support at work even though they felt the workplace response was likely to be supportive. Almost all the women felt that they had to persuade their GP to prescribe HRT and felt that their doctors were too reticent in prescribing this treatment. ConclusionsEmployers have a key role in supporting their staff experiencing menopausal symptoms, and such support has the potential to reduce sickness absence and boost retention. Based on the findings we recommend creating an open culture to break down taboos; protected time for peer support around shared experiences and effective symptom management techniques; and maximising the impact of non-menopause-specific policies such as flexible working to help all staff manage fatigue and become more productive in their roles.

Exploring the relationship between history of infertility and the experience of menopausal symptoms.

The aim of the study is to examine longitudinal associations of history of infertility with menopausal symptoms in midlife. Six hundred ninety-five midlife women (≥45 y old or reporting ≥12 mo of amenorrhea at the midlife visit) in Project Viva, a prospective cohort enrolled 1999-2002 during pregnancy and followed for 18 years after enrollment ("midlife visit"). Exposure was history of infertility defined as time to pregnancy ≥12 months (≥6 mo if ≥35 y), use of medical treatment to conceive, or infertility consultation or treatment in the 6-month preceding enrollment. The primary outcome was score below or above the median on the Menopause Rating Scale (MRS). Secondary outcomes included individual symptom score on the MRS and self-reported age of menopause. A total of 36.6% had a history of infertility in their lifetime. At the time of MRS completion, the women with prior infertility were older (53.4 [SD, 3.8] vs 51.2 [SD, 3.7] y) than those without infertility and a larger proportion had reached menopause (62% vs 40%). Women with prior infertility were more likely to score above the median on the MRS (Adjusted Odds Ratio [aOR], 1.45; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.04-2.01) and had higher odds for reporting any depressive mood (aOR, 1.56; 95% CI, 1.12-2.16) and irritability (aOR, 1.57; 95% CI, 1.13-2.19). There was a trend toward greater severity of sleep problems among women with prior infertility. There was no association of prior infertility with report of other menopausal symptoms or age of menopause. Our findings suggest that women with prior infertility are more likely to have an MRS score above the median and experience depressive mood, irritability, and sleep problems during midlife than women without infertility. These findings have implications for mental health screening among midlife women.

What are the barriers regarding the safe discussion of menopausal symptom experience and management?

What are the barriers regarding the safe discussion of menopausal symptom experience and management?

Interrupted lullabies: the association between menopausal symptoms and sleep variability in peri- and post-menopausal women

ABSTRACT Poor sleep is a reality for many midlife women experiencing menopause. Although much empirical attention has been allocated toward ameliorating vasomotor symptoms and related consequences, less focus has been given toward sleep, specifically sleep variability, in menopausal women. The present study aimed to determine the association between menopausal symptoms and night-to-night sleep variability among peri- and post-menopausal women. Participants were 220 menopausal women (42.3 percent peri-menopausal, 57.7 percent post-menopausal) aged 40 to 64 from the United States recruited via Prolific, and online platform. The current study conducted secondary analyses on data collected as part of a larger investigation on midlife women from the United States. A structural equation model assessed associations between a latent menopausal symptom construct, composed of several Women’s Health Questionnaire domains, and a latent sleep variability construct, composed of sleep diary indices. Menopausal symptoms were associated with latent sleep variability (β = 0.49, p < .05); greater experience of menopausal symptoms was associated with more night-to-night sleep variability (medium effect size). Waking after sleep onset (WASO) was the sole significant indicator of the latent sleep factor. The findings highlight the importance of menopausal symptoms for sleep variability, specifically wakefulness. As such, wakefulness may be an important target for sleep interventions for menopausal women. The findings further suggest a need for more research and interventions targeted toward understanding and ameliorating the impact of menopausal symptoms on night-to-night wakefulness overall.

Early-stage breast cancer menopausal symptom experience and management: exploring medical oncology clinic visit conversations through qualitative analysis.

Women being treated with chemotherapy for breast cancer experience menopausal symptoms that vary in presentation and impact on quality of life. The clinical visit before each chemotherapy cycle provides an important opportunity to allow patients to dialogue with their medical oncology healthcare providers about these symptoms and identify strategies for self-management. The objective of this study was to characterize patient and provider interactions regarding the menopausal symptom experience and management in the context of breast cancer treatment. Thematic analysis was employed to analyze 61 transcripts from clinical encounters of women receiving chemotherapy treatment for breast cancer. Transcripts were chosen based on their inclusion of menopausal symptom discussion. Themes were separated into three distinct categories: patient, clinician, and dyadic themes. The overarching theme was goal discordance in the clinical visit, which was reflected in the following themes: unexpected and unprepared; distressed, disrupted and disturbed; clinical insensitivity; missed opportunity for management and empathy; and use of humor and colloquial language. Overall, women were unprepared for the menopausal symptom experience, and clinicians did not often provide management, interventions, or empathetic responses. There is a need to develop more astute assessment and communication regarding menopausal symptoms during the clinical visit. Possible interventions include a more holistic assessment, algorithms to facilitate the clinician's attention and response to menopausal symptoms, and treatment of symptoms.

Menopause Symptom Experience and Perceived Well-Being Among HIV Positive and Negative Older Women in Ibadan, Nigeria

Globally, people are living longer with the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) and older individuals are becoming infected. Menopause symptoms affect women’s health and are associated with perceived declines in wellbeing. This study assessed and compared the menopause symptom experience and perceived wellbeing among HIV positive and negative older women in Ibadan Nigeria Focus group discussions were conducted among menopausal women attending the ARV and GOP clinics at the University College Hospital Ibadan. Opinions of discussants on knowledge and experience of menopausal symptoms, perceptions about the menopause and perceived health status were explored. A total of 90 HIV positive and 92 HIV negative women aged between 40 to 60 years were sampled. Knowledge of the cause of menopause was poor, with more HIV positive women opining that sexual promiscuity causes menopause. The majority of the discussants had adequate knowledge of menopausal symptoms with most of them reporting vasomotor and musculoskeletal symptoms. In both groups, perceptions about the menopause were generally positive as most of them opined that the menopause means freedom from sexual activity and child birth. More HIV negative women perceived themselves to be in good health compared to HIV positive women. Menopause induces many of the same metabolic changes that are being observed with HIV infection, and this may affect the health and quality of life of aging women with HIV infection. There’s a need for health education and health promoting interventions that will help these women in coping with the double burden of HIV infection and menopause.

Menopausal Symptom Experience Among Middle Aged Women in Pokhara

Introduction: Menopause is the point when a woman no longer has menstrual periods. At this stage, the ovaries have stopped releasing eggs and producing most of their estrogen. Menopause is diagnosed when a woman has gone without a period for 12 consecutive months. The aim of the study is to assess the menopausal symptoms experience among middle aged women.&#x0D; Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was carried out among purposively selected 100 menopausal women in Fulbari-11, Pokhara using structured interview schedule. Data was analyzed using descriptive statistics (mean, median, standard deviation, frequency) and Inferential statistics (chi-square) in SPSS version 20. Data were presented in tabular form.&#x0D; Results: The findings revealed that 83 percent had mild symptoms experience. The most menopausal women experienced physical, psychological and sexual symptoms. The physical problems included as joint and muscular symptoms (80%), dryness of vagina (72%), bladder problems (60%), hot flushes (47%) and heart discomfort (43%). Similarly, the common psychological problems included anxiety (79%) physical and mental exhaustion (72%), irritability (70%), depressive mood (67%), and sleeping problems (61%) and sexual problems (37%). Menopausal symptom experience is statistically significant to source of information and type of family. &#x0D; Conclusions: The conclusion of this study is more than 60 percent menopausal women experienced menopausal symptoms. Joint and muscular problems, and psychological problems were the significant problems. Sexual problem is the least.

Reducing the Experience of Menopausal Symptoms Through Temperature

Reducing the Experience of Menopausal Symptoms Through Temperature

Menopausal Experiences among Women in Addis Ababa

The theme of women’s menopausal experience remains to be a focus of scientific inquiry in the western and Asian nations. However, the issue has not been studied in the African (mainly Ethiopia) context. This research endeavored to explore this issue (menopausal age, awareness, attitude, and symptoms) among women in Addis Ababa. A total of 212 women were sampled from heterogeneous settings (health centers, schools, and business centers) to fill in the structured questionnaire. Findings indicated that the mean age at menopause was lower (45.34 years) compared to those reported in other nations and this age was unrelated to age at first menstruation. Participants were with moderate level of awareness as well as attitude about menopause but had experienced fewer menopausal symptoms. The correlation analysis yielded that while menopausal awareness was positively related with attitudes, experience of menopausal symptoms was, however, related neither to awareness nor to attitudes. ANOVA test yielded significant differences among educational, marital, and menopausal groups in menopausal experiences. However, the direction of impact was found varied group-wise for the different kinds of menopausal experiences. A number of inconsistencies were found between findings of the present study and those documented in previous research and this could be because of cultural differences.

Measuring bothersome menopausal symptoms: development and validation of the MenoScores questionnaire

BackgroundThe experience of menopausal symptoms is common and an adequate patient-reported outcome measure is crucial in studies where women are treated for these symptoms. The aims of this study were to identify a patient-reported outcome measure for bothersome menopausal symptoms and, in the absence of an adequate tool, to develop a new measure with high content validity, and to validate it using modern psychometric methods.MethodsThe literature was reviewed for existing questionnaires and checklists for bothersome menopausal symptoms. Relevant items were extracted and subsequently tested in group interviews, single interviews, and pilot tests. A patient-reported outcome measure was drafted and completed by 1504 women. Data was collected and psychometrically validated using item-response theory Rasch Models.ResultsAll questionnaires identified in the literature lacked content validity regarding bothersome menopausal symptoms and none were validated using item-response theory. Our content validation resulted in a draft measurement encompassing 122 items across eight domains. Following psychometrical validation, the final version of our patient-reported outcome measure, named the MenoScores Questionnaire, encompassed 51 items, including one single item, covering 11 scales.ConclusionMenopausal symptoms are multidimensional with some symptoms unquestionably related to the menopausal transition. We identified four constructs of importance: hot flushes, day-and-night sweats, general sweating, and menopausal-specific sleeping problems. The MenoScores Questionnaire is condition-specific with high content validity and adequate psychometrical properties. It is designed to measure bothersome menopausal symptoms and all scales are developed and psychometrically validated using item-response theory Rasch Models.Trial registrationApproved by the Danish Data Agency (J.nr. 2015–41-4057). Ethics Committee approval was not required.

Vasomotor, urogenital, psychological, and somatic symptoms in association with CYP1B1 polymorphisms in Slovak women of different menopausal status.

The aim of this study was to examine if the Arg48Gly, Ala119Ser, Leu432Val, and Asn453Ser polymorphisms in the CYP1B1 estrogen-metabolizing gene are associated with menopausal symptom experience in healthy Slovak women aged 40-60 years. We also investigated the possible association of other factors with menopausal symptoms, including health status, physical activity, reproductive history, psychological status, and smoking. The total sample consisted of 367 women (mean age 49.11 ± 5.86 years), encompassing 180 premenopausal (mean age 45.06 ± 3.81 years), 29 peri-menopausal (mean age 49.41 ± 3.94 years), and 158 postmenopausal (mean age 53.71 ± 4.54 years) women. The research comprised anthropometric and bioelectrical impedance analysis measurements (BIA), blood or saliva samples collected for DNA analysis, and a specific menopausal questionnaire. CYP1B1 Arg48Gly is significantly associated with vasomotor, psychological, and somatic symptoms. It appears that the Gly/Gly genotype is a risk factor during the postmenopause and protective in the pre- and peri-menopause. CYP1B1 Ala119Ser was associated with all menopausal symptoms, with the Ser/Ser genotype increasing risk in the premenopause and offering protection in the peri- and postmenopause. Polymorphisms Leu432Val and Asn453Ser gave unequivocal results; independent of menopausal status, the Leu/Leu genotype was associated with increasing risk of vasomotor, urogenital, and psychological symptoms and the Asn/Asn genotype provided a protective effect against psychological symptoms. Our results suggest possible associations of CYP1B1 polymorphisms with the occurrence and manifestation of particular menopausal symptoms in healthy mid-life Slovak women.

Improving menopausal symptoms through promoting physical activity: a pilot Web-based intervention study among Asian Americans.

Based on previous studies, a Web-based physical activity promotion program with educational modules on menopausal symptoms and physical activity has been developed for Asian American midlife women to reduce their menopausal symptoms through increasing their physical activity. The purpose of this pilot randomized intervention study was to determine the efficacy of the Web-based program in improving menopausal symptom experience of Asian American midlife women. This was a randomized repeated measures pretest/posttest (pretest, post 1 month, and post 3 months) control group study among 29 Asian American midlife women. Multiple instruments were used, including the Midlife Women's Symptom Index and the Kaiser Physical Activity Survey. The data were analyzed using a mixed-model growth curve analysis. Over time, total severity scores decreased for the control group (-0.53, P < 0.10), whereas they did not exhibit a meaningful change for the intervention group. Both study groups experienced improvement in active living habits over time, but such an improvement was greater for the intervention group (β = 0.29, P < 0.001) than for the control group (β = 0.08, P < 0.10). The time × group interactions for total severity scores were not statistically significant anymore after controlling for physical activity (-0.34 for the control group, P = 0.10). The findings supported the feasibility of a 3-month Web-based intervention for menopausal symptom management among Asian American midlife women and the preliminary efficacy of the program in increasing their physical activity.

Cultural issues in menopause: an exploratory qualitative study of Macedonian women in Australia.

This study explored the attitudes to, and experience of, menopause among Macedonian women living in Australia, including attitudes and responses to hormone therapy (HT) and complementary therapies, as well as related psycho-sexual, relationship and other midlife issues. Using qualitative methodology, the study was based on seven unstructured, nondirective group discussions. Natural social groups were recruited, meeting wherever each group felt most at home. A total of 81 participants ranged in age from 45 to 75 years. The women included both first-generation immigrants and women born in Australia to Macedonian parents. A bilingual Macedonian researcher conducted the fieldwork. Participants typically claimed they lacked information about menopause in their native language, and their knowledge of HT was highly variable. Some women only felt comfortable approaching Macedonian doctors. Others reported an easing of symptoms when they revisited their homeland. Deeply religious participants claimed their faith helped them through this phase of life, and that they were as likely to consult a priest as a doctor. A recurring theme was that Macedonian men tended to regard their wives differently after menopause, sometimes treating them as "non-sexual." Women regarded this shift in male attitudes as a precipitating factor in domestic violence, extramarital affairs and divorce. Symptoms such as hot flashes and mood swings were associated with negative attitudes toward menopause. Culturally determined attitudes appear to affect the perception and experience of menopause. Other influencing factors include migration, women's roles, marital status, religion, use of herbal and traditional remedies, social situation, access to information, knowledge and experience of menopausal symptoms.

Does menopausal status influence the symptom experience of women prior to breast cancer surgery?

149 Background: Breast cancer treatments can change women’s hormonal milieu and alter their symptom experience. Little is known about associations between menopausal status and menopausal symptoms in women with breast cancer prior to treatment with surgery, chemotherapy, and/or hormonal therapy. The purpose of this study was to evaluate for differences in menopausal symptom experience between pre- and post-menopausal women prior to breast cancer surgery. Methods: A total of 312 women with breast cancer completed the Menopausal Symptoms Scale, a self-report measure that evaluates the occurrence, severity, and distress of 46 common symptoms associated with menopause. Results: Of the 312 patients enrolled, 37.4% (n=116) were premenopausal and 62.6% (n=196) were postmenopausal. No differences were found in the total number of symptoms reported between premenopausal (x̅ = 13.3±7.8) and postmenopausal (x̅ = 12.0±8.6; t = 1.35, p=.177) patients. Premenopausal patients reported higher occurrence rates for tearful/crying spells, painful/tender breasts, anxiety, lost interest in things, anger, tension, lost sexual interest, fatigue or tiredness, impatience, headache, and nervousness (p&lt;.05 for all). Premenopausal patients reported lower occurrence rates for joint pain/stiffness (p=.011), difficulty falling asleep, vaginal dryness, daytime sweats, and hot flashes (p&lt;.01 for all). A significant interaction was found between age and menopausal status. In the premenopausal group, as age increased, these women were significantly more likely to have hot flashes (p=.033). In the postmenopausal group, as age increased, these women were significantly less likely to have hot flashes, wake during the night, have headaches, and report nervousness (p&lt;.01 for all). In the bivariate and multivariate analyses, none of the symptom severity or distress scores were significantly different between the pre- and post-menopausal patients. Conclusions: Findings from this study suggest that, regardless of menopausal status, women report a high occurrence of menopausal symptoms. The association between menopausal symptom occurrence and menopausal status depends on the specific menopausal symptom and the patient’s age. Clinical trial information: NCT00769821.

Factors related to the experience of menopausal symptoms in women prescribed tamoxifen

Introduction: Menopausal symptoms are frequent and severe in breast cancer survivors taking tamoxifen; however, treatment options are limited for these patients as hormonal replacement therapy is contraindicated. This study aimed to explore the experience and attribution of menopausal symptoms and identify factors related to the experience of menopausal symptoms in women taking tamoxifen.Methods: Women who had been prescribed tamoxifen for a diagnosis of primary breast cancer were recruited from oncology clinics across England and from online advertisements. Seven hundred and forty women completed questionnaires assessing illness perceptions, social support, mood and symptom duration/severity.Results: Eighty-four percent of women had experienced hot flushes and 80% experienced night sweats; of these, 60% experienced severe symptoms. Symptoms persisted throughout 5 years of treatment and were mainly attributed to tamoxifen. Logistic regressions showed that depressive symptoms, previous chemotherapy and being employed were associated with increased odds of hot flush or night sweat prevalence. Symptom severity was associated with depression, being employed and attributing symptoms to tamoxifen.Discussion: These findings have clinical implications in terms of targeting women who are more at risk and offering non-hormonal treatment options, such as cognitive behavioural therapy, to help women to develop self-management strategies for coping with menopausal symptoms.

“Impact of Yoga on the Reduction of Menopausal Symptoms among Unmarried Women in Religious Societies”

Back ground: Menopause is a natural process that happens to every woman as she grows older. Menopause is the end of menstruation i.e. it is a stage when women’s stop having her monthly period. The average age for menopause is 52. But menopause commonly happens anytime between the ages of 42 and 56.Every women experiences cert ain symptoms during menopause. The more beautifully a woman tackles the symptoms the more happy life can be. 5 Aim: The present study aim is to assess the impact of Yoga on reduction of menopausal symptoms. Methodology: Rating scale( r=0.82) was used to assess the menopausal symptoms, the sample consist of 30 unmarried women, pre experimental one group pre test post test design was adopted. Results: The mean post intervention menopausal symptom experience score of (77.27 ) was lesser than the pre intervention menopausal symptom experience score (127.37) which showed that yoga was effective in the reduction of menopausal symptoms among unmarried women. The domain wise mean difference of post test and pre test menopausal sym ptom experience score of unmarried women reveals that there was a significant difference in all the three domains but maximum was in “physiological factors” (30.89%) and the least was for “psychological factors” (20.79%). After the

Reliability and Validity of the Menopausal Symptom Scale

Menopausal symptom experiences differ by racial/ethnic group. Thus, health care professionals who use instruments to measure menopausal symptoms need to be aware of cultural sensitivities. The purpose of this study was to examine the psychometric properties of the Menopausal Symptom Scale among Korean women. Data from 229 Korean women between the ages of 40 and 65 years, selected by convenience sampling, were collected during 2010–2011. Psychometric properties were evaluated through content validity and item analysis, construct validity, discriminant validity, criterion-related validity, floor/ceiling effects, and internal consistency reliability. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses revealed four factors explaining 65% of variance in the items. Discriminant validity and the criterion-related validity were supported. No significant floor/ceiling effects were found. Cronbach’s alpha values ranged from 0.90 to 0.95. The Menopausal Symptom Scale developed for Korean menopausal women appeared to be a valid and reliable instrument. It appeared that it measured psychological symptoms more comprehensively and in a culturally-specific or ethnic-specific manner in menopausal women of Asian or traditional cultures. It will be necessary to broaden the scale of research to other ethnic groups and countries to verify the psychometric properties specific to the ethnic group or country.