The perception of menopause and hormone therapy among women in Turkey.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the influence of sociodemographic characteristics and menopause perception on self-reported menopause-related symptoms among Turkish women and analyze their knowledge and attitudes towards menopause and hormone therapy.


METHODS
This was a population-based, cross-sectional, descriptive study. A total of 1007 women were recruited while attending primary-care health clinics. Women who agreed to participate in the study gave written informed consent. Each woman completed a questionnaire and had an interview to investigate her current health problems.


RESULTS
Various different problems were reported by 86% of the women, mainly hot flushes. The women who perceived menopause as a pathological period had more complaints. The level of education influenced a more positive perception of the menopause. Only 12% of women were taking a hormonal treatment.


CONCLUSIONS
Different perceptions of menopause among Turkish women are influenced by many factors, including cultural differences, level of education, regular exercise, social factors, and impact of the media. These need to be considered when studying the frequency and characteristics of menopausal problems.
Uncu
Y
Y
Department of Family Medicine, University of Uludag, Bursa, Turkey.
Alper
Z
Z
Ozdemir
H
H
Bilgel
N
N
Uncu
G
G
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001294:Attitude to Health; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D015444:Exercise; D005260:Female; D020249:Hormone Replacement Therapy; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008593:Menopause / Q000523:psychology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D012923:Social Class; D014421:Turkey