The longitudinal effects of a perimenopausal health education intervention on the mid-life women in Taiwan.
OBJECTIVE
The study purpose was to evaluate the longitudinal effects, after 3 months and 1-year, of a perimenopausal health education intervention for mid-life women in Taiwan.


METHODS
This study was conducted at two hospitals and their neighborhood communities (each included three subgroups, traditional Chinese, gynecologic and neighborhood communities), using a parallel-design, control trial for mid-life women. There were three instruments: (1) the Perceived Uncertainty Scale, (2) the Perceived Perimenopausal Disturbances Scale and (3) the Practice of Health Behaviors Scale. The intervention effects from the study baseline to a 1-year follow-up were estimated using the mixed effect model (SAS-MIXED procedure) for repeated measures of health behaviors, perceived uncertainty and perceived perimenopausal disturbances.


RESULTS
A total of 161 women were in the education group, while 174 women were in the control group. After a 1-year follow-up, health education intervention had significantly increased the practice of health behavior in both Chinese medicine subgroups (beta=15.39, P<0.001) and gynecologic clinics subgroup (beta=10.08, P<0.005). On the other hand, health education intervention had significantly decreased perceived uncertainty in subgroups of Chinese medicine (beta=-9.52, P<0.005).


CONCLUSIONS
The perimenopausal health education had positive effects in reducing perceived uncertainty and increasing practice of health behavior among women from Chinese medicine clinics after a 1-year follow-up. Women from the gynecologic clinics showed the intervention effects of increasing health behavior after a three month and 1-year follow-ups. However, the women from neighborhood communities did not show any significant intervention effects at follow-ups. It is important to urge the women from communities to promote health practices for their perimenopausal transition instead of just living with their changing health.
Tsao
Lee-Ing
LI
Department of Research and Development & School of Nursing, National Taipei College of Nursing, Taiwan, ROC.
Su
Mei-Chen
MC
Hsiao
Ping-Ju
PJ
Gau
Yueh-Mei
YM
An
Chi
C
Lin
Kuan-Chia
KC
D005260:Female; D015438:Health Behavior; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008875:Middle Aged; D010353:Patient Education as Topic; D047648:Perimenopause; D013624:Taiwan; D016896:Treatment Outcome