ARTICLE INFO

Article Type

Qualitative Study

Authors

Moradi   Gh. (1)
Hamidi   S. (2)
Hosseini   A. (2)
Saeidi   S. (2)
Yousefi   J. (2)
Bagheri   Sh. (*2)






(1) Social Determinants of Health Research Center, Kurdistan University of Medical Sciences, Sanandaj, Iran
(2) Health Network of Sanandaj, Kurdestan University of Medical Sciences, Sanandaj, Iran

Correspondence

Address: Kurdestan University of Medical Sciences, Pasdaran Street, Sanandaj, Iran. Postal Code: 6617913446
Phone: +98 (87) 33174104
Fax: -
shararehb79@gmail.com

Article History

Received:   April  13, 2019
Accepted:   August 6, 2019
ePublished:   December 21, 2019

ABSTRACT

Aims Aging is associated with a phenomenon of menopause in women that is a very broad concept due to the coincidence with the appearance of aging symptoms. Menopause may affect women’s quality of life and especially their health. The aim of this study was to explain the selfconcept of postmenopausal women.
Participants & Methods The present study is a qualitative phenomenological research that was conducted among 23 menopausal women referred to Sanandaj health clinics in 2018 using semi-structured in-depth interviews. Participants were selected by purposive sampling method. Sampling continued until having achieved informational redundancy or saturation. The data were analyzed using MAXQDA 10 software and according to van Manen’s six steps to guide phenomenological research.
Findings Five main themes were identified: intellectual ability, occupational efficiency, physical attractiveness, social skills, and virtues/vices, which is consistent with Beck self-concept test. In addition, the theme “physical health” was extracted from the participants’ statements which are not part of the Beck test.
Conclusion Postmenopausal women, with the exception of intellectual ability and occupational efficacy, have problems in other themes such as physical attractiveness, social skills, and exercise, mood, and physical problems, which indicates inappropriate self-concept after menopause.

Keywords: Menopause , Self-Concept , Qualitative Research , Women ,

CITATION LINKS

[1]Speroff L, Fritz MA. Clinical gynecologic endocrinology and infertility. 7th Edition. New York: Lippincott Williams and Wilkins: 2005.
[2]Novak E, Berek JS, Hillard PA. Novak's gynecology. 13th Edition. Philadelphia: Lipincott Williams and wilkins; 2002.
[3]Abernethy K. Menopause and hormone replacement therapy. Baheiraei A, Ghazizadeh S, translators. Tehran: Boshra; 1999. [Persian]
[4]Cifcili SY, Akman M, Demirkol A, Unalan PC, Vermeire E. " I should live and finish it": a qualitative inquiry into Turkish women's menopause experience. BMC Fam Pract. 2009;10(1):2.
[5]Bahri N, Yoshany N, Morowati Sharifabad MA, Noghabi AD, Sajjadi M. The effects of menopausal health training for spouses on women's quality of life during menopause transitional period. Menopause. 2016;23(2):183-8.
[6]Simon JA, Reape KZ. Understanding the menopausal experiences of professional women. Menopause. 2009;16(1):73-6.
[7]Agnusdei D, Compston JE. Selective Oestrogen Receptor Modulators (SERMs): a novel option to maintain health in the postmenopause. London: Martin Dunitz; 2000.
[8]Hvas L. Menopausal women's positive experience of growing older. Maturitas. 2006;54(3):245-51.
[9]Bauld R, Brown RF. Stress, psychological distress, psychosocial factors, menopause symptoms and physical health in women. Maturitas. 2009;62(2):160-5.
[10]Ayers B, Forshaw M, Hunter MS. The impact of attitudes towards the menopause on women's symptom experience: a systematic review. Maturitas. 2010;65(1):28-36.
[11]Longworth JC. Hispanic women's experience with “el cambio de vida”. J Am Acad Nurse Pract. 2003;15(6):266-75.
[12]Liu J, Eden JA. The menopausal experience of Greek women living in Sydney. Menopause. 2008;15(3):476-81.
[13]Mollazamani A, Fathi Ashtiani A. The effect of role-play training on improving self-concept in adolescents. J Behav Sci. 2008,2(1):61-6. [Persian]
[14]Polit DF, Beck CT. Essentials of nursing research: methods, appraisal, and utilization. Philadelphia: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins; 2006.
[15]Van Manen M. Pedagogy, virtue, and narrative identity in teaching. Curricul Inq. 1994;24(2):135-70.
[16]Van Manen M. Pedagogy, virtue, and narrative identity in teaching. Curricul Inq. 1994;24(2):135-70.
[17]Kuh D, Cooper R, Moore A, Richards M, Hardy R. Age at menopause and lifetime cognition: findings from a British birth cohort study. Neurology. 2018;90(19):e1673-81.
[18]Sliwinski JR, Johnson AK, Elkins GR. Memory decline in peri-and post-menopausal women: the potential of mind–body medicine to improve cognitive performance. Integr Med Insights. 2014;9:17-23.
[19]Griffiths A, MacLennan SJ, Hassard J. Menopause and work: an electronic survey of employees’ attitudes in the UK. Maturitas. 2013;76(2):155-9.
[20]Sarrel PM. Women, work, and menopause. Menopause. 2012;19(3):250-2.
[21]Kopenhager T, Guidozzi F. Working women and the menopause. Climacteric. 2015;18(3):372-5.
[22]Skrabski Á, Kopp M, Rózsa S, Réthelyi J, Rahe RH. Life meaning: an important correlate of health in the Hungarian population. Int J Behav Med. 2005;12(2):78-85.
[23]Juang KD, Wang SJ, Lu SR, Lee SJ, Fuh JL. Hot flashes are associated with psychological symptoms of anxiety and depression in peri-and post-but not premenopausal women. Maturitas. 2005;52(2):119-26.
[24]Bryant C, Judd FK, Hickey M. Anxiety during the menopausal transition: a systematic review. J Affect Disord. 2012;139(2):141-8.
[25]Freeman EW. Associations of depression with the transition to menopause. Menopause. 2010;17(4):823-7.
[26]Jamshidmanesh M, Peirovi H, Joouybari L, Sanagoo A. Qualitative study: women's experience of menopause. J Sabzevar Univ Med Sci. 2009;16(4):196-205. [Persian]
[27]Hakimi S, Simbar M, Ramezani Tehrani F. Concerns of menopausal women: a phenomenological study in North West Iran. Payesh. 2014;13(3):321-30. [Persian]
[28]Arpanantikul M. Midlife experiences of Thai women. J Adv Nurs. 2004;47(1):49-56.