title: Reducing menopausal symptoms for women during the menopause transition using group education in a primary health care setting-a randomized controlled trial.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Women's physical and mental ill-health shows a marked increase during menopause, which usually occurs between 45 and 55 years of age. Mental illness and somatic symptoms are common causes of long-term sick leave. Women suffer from a lack of knowledge about the menopause transition and its associated symptoms. The aim of the study was to investigate whether group education for women in primary health care (PHC) about the menopause transition can improve their physical and mental ill-health.
  
  
  METHODS
  This randomized controlled study was conducted in PHC and aimed to evaluate a group education programme for women aged 45-55 years, around the menopause transition. A total of 131 women were randomized to group education or no intervention. The group intervention included two education sessions with topics related to menopause. They answered two questionnaires at baseline and at four-month follow-up: the Menopause Rating Scale (MRS) and the Montgomery-Asberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS).
  
  
  METHODS
  Change in MRS and MADRS scores over the four months.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The intervention group experienced a slight reduction in symptoms while the control group mostly experienced the opposite.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study showed that it was feasible to implement group education on menopause for women aged 45-55 years.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  NTC02852811.
authors.affiliation: Närhälsan, Skene Health Care Center, Skene, Närhälsan, Research and Development, Primary Health Care Region Västra Götaland, The Research and Development Center Södra Älvsborg, Sweden; Department of Public Health and Community Medicine/Primary Health Care, Institute of Medicine, The Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Sweden; Research and Development Center Södra Älvsborg, Närhälsan, Research and Development, Primary Health Care Region, Västra Götaland, Sweden. Electronic address: lena.rindner@vgregion.se.
authors.forename: Lena
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Rindner
authors.affiliation: Närhälsan, Mark Gynecological Clinic, Skene, Sweden.
authors.forename: Gunilla
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Strömme
authors.affiliation: Research and Development Center Södra Älvsborg, Närhälsan, Research and Development, Primary Health Care Region, Västra Götaland, Sweden; University of Gothenburg, Sahlgrenska Academy, Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology Department of Health and Rehabilitation, Unit of Physiotherapy, Sweden.
authors.forename: Lena
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Nordeman
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health and Community Medicine/Primary Health Care, Institute of Medicine, The Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Sweden; Research and Development Center Södra Älvsborg, Närhälsan, Research and Development, Primary Health Care Region, Västra Götaland, Sweden; Närhälsan, Svenljunga Health Care Center, Department of Public Health and Community Medicine/Primary Health, Gothenburg University, Sweden.
authors.forename: Dominique
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Hange
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health and Community Medicine/Primary Health Care, Institute of Medicine, The Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Sweden; Research and Development Center Södra Älvsborg, Närhälsan, Research and Development, Primary Health Care Region, Västra Götaland, Sweden; Associate Professor in General Practice and Rural Medicine, Cairns Clinical School, College of Medicine and Dentistry, James Cook University, Australia.
authors.forename: Ronny
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Gunnarsson
authors.affiliation: Research and Development Center Södra Älvsborg, Närhälsan, Research and Development, Primary Health Care Region, Västra Götaland, Sweden; Närhälsan Borås Youth Centre, Region Västra Götaland, Sweden, Borås, Sweden.
authors.forename: Gun
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Rembeck
mesh_terms: D005260:Female; D019584:Hot Flashes / Q000517:prevention & control*; D006801:Humans; D008593:Menopause / Q000523:psychology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D010353:Patient Education as Topic; D011320:Primary Health Care; D011594:Psychometrics; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013548:Sweden; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D016387:Women's Health
keywords: Climacteric; Education; Menopause; Menopause symptoms; Mental health; Women's health