Menopause symptoms can be relieved with knowledge

Not self-recognition, not feeling well, but without a direct feeling of illness. This is the situation experienced by many postmenopausal women, according to Lena Rendner, district nurse and doctoral student in community medicine and public health at Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg.

Her dissertation examined middle-aged women, who often face new challenges, undergo changes in relationship and work hard at home and at work, with varying effects on health and quality of life.

Mental and stress-related illnesses are common, and many seek help from primary care. At the same time, women’s knowledge of normal aging is often limited.

Can knowledge relieve menopausal symptoms?

“I wanted to investigate whether symptoms related to the menopause phase of menopause can be alleviated by providing education, support and treatment in this transitional phase,” says Lena Rindner, Clinical Activist at Södra Torget Care Center in Borås.

A randomized controlled trial examined whether group training or person-centered one-on-one conversations about menopausal subjects could improve women’s quality of life and reduce mental, physical, and urogenital symptoms, that is, urinary tract problems and vaginal dryness.

The study involved 368 women between the ages of 45 and 60 who were selected for either group education, one-on-one conversations, both, or neither. One-to-one conversations that focus on the person had the clearest long-term positive effect.

—This is a way of providing menopausal counseling, support, and treatment in life that can be offered in primary care to improve a woman’s health in this transitional phase, says Lena Rindner.

Partner and education are important factors

In another part of the thesis, symptoms and health-related quality of life were studied in 131 women between the ages of 45 and 55 to get an idea of ​​how common and difficulties the problems are. A six-year follow-up showed that the physical and genitourinary disturbances subsided while the psychological disturbances remained.

A strong factor for perceived good health after six years was a good relationship with a partner, while higher education appeared to be a risk factor for poorer mental health. Mental illness often occurs in the wake of a scant work life, with a large workload and unclear requirements combined with working at home, says Lena Rinder.

– We were surprised, but you see that women with higher education are more likely to get sick today. Setting boundaries in the workplace can be disconcerting for people with career aspirations. Stress that persists for a long time, without the possibility of recovery, can have consequences for health. It concludes that the demands of performance both at work and at home, without time to recover, can affect the Moon during a very vulnerable period in life.

hypothesis:

Middle-aged women’s health–a person-centered approach to primary care–implications for mental, physical, and urogenital symptoms, and quality of life..

Contact:

Lena Rindner, District Nurse and PhD in Community Medicine and Public Health at the Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, [email protected]