title: Knowledge and Attitude about Andropause Among General Physicians in Shiraz, Iran 2014.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Andropause in men refers to the clinical and biochemical syndrome associated with advanced age and characterized by a deficiency in serum testosterone levels. With the increase in aging male population and life span in Iran and focus on quality of life, andropause will become a major health issue that needs to be addressed in order to prevent disability. The results of some research have shown that there is still low level of knowledge and attitude toward andropause among health professionals. This study aimed at assessing the level of knowledge and attitude of general physicians regarding andropause in 2014.
  
  
  METHODS
  This cross-sectional study was carried out on 402 general physicians in Shiraz. A researcher-made questionnaire was developed for assessing the level of knowledge and attitude of general physicians about andropause. SPSS 18 was used to analyze the data, and descriptive statistics, ANOVA and Pearson correlation were applied for data analysis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mean score of knowledge and attitude about andropause was 29.4 out of 76 and 35.1 out of 45, respectively. The findings showed a poor level of knowledge and positive attitude toward andropause among general physicians. There was a significant relationship between occupational status and knowledge about andropause (P<0.001). There was a statistically significant relationship between attitude and demographic characteristics (P<0.05). The correlation between knowledge and attitude toward andropause was not statistically significant (P=0.548).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The findings of the present study indicate the need for designing educational interventions to improve the knowledge and attitude of andropause among general physicians.
authors.affiliation: Department of Community Health Nursing, School of Nursing and Midwifery, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran.
authors.forename: Maliheh
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Abootalebi
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatric Nursing, School of Nursing and Midwifery, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran.
authors.forename: Marzieh
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kargar
authors.affiliation: Community Based Psychiatric Care Research Center, Department of Community Health Nursing, School of Nursing and Midwifery, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran.
authors.forename: Iran
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Jahanbin
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, School of Medicine, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran.
authors.forename: Alireza Amin
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Sharifi
authors.affiliation: Department of Biostatistics, School of Medicine, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran.
authors.forename: Zahra
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Sharafi
keywords: Andropause; General physicians; Male