Effect of a health education program on climacteric women.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the effect of a health education program on climacteric women from the viewpoint of health improvement and maintenance.


METHODS
Twenty-two climacteric women (aged 45-65 years) acted as the intervention group and attended six seminars about health care; data were collected by the Simplified Menopausal Index (SMI), the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) and the MOS 36-Item Short-Form Health Survey (SF-36). Changes in recognition action were evaluated using pre-test, post-test and follow-up questionnaires, and the activity of the autonomic nervous system (ANS) was measured by heart rate variability. Thirty women acting as controls were also given the same questionnaires.


RESULTS
The SMI score was significantly improved at post-test and at follow-up compared to pre-test values, and the post-test HADS (total) score of the intervention group tended to improve. At the quality-of-life level, general post-test health perceptions significantly improved and role physical/role emotional significantly improved at follow-up. Cognitive behavioral changes in the intervention group were significantly improved according to self-reports and the ANS was also activated.


CONCLUSIONS
The health education program changed the cognitive actions of climacteric women, which resulted in continuously improved menopausal symptoms, quality of life and autonomic nervous system activity.
Senba
N
N
Kumamoto University, Japan.
Matsuo
H
H
D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000368:Aged; D001007:Anxiety; D001341:Autonomic Nervous System / Q000502:physiology; D001521:Behavior Therapy; D004032:Diet; D015444:Exercise; D005260:Female; D006266:Health Education / Q000379:methods; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006306:Health Surveys; D006339:Heart Rate; D006801:Humans; D007564:Japan; D008593:Menopause / Q000502:physiology / Q000523:psychology; D008875:Middle Aged; D011788:Quality of Life; D012890:Sleep