Knowledge and health promoting lifestyle behaviors about menopause among perimenopausal female teachers

Abstract

Menopause is a critical period in a woman's life that not only marks the end of reproductive ability, but it also associated with multiple physical, vasomotor, psychological, and sexual complaints Many of the serious complications that women face during menopause are caused by their own poor lifestyles and their lack of knowledge about self-care. The objective of this study was to assess knowledge and health promoting behavior at menopause among perimenopausal female teachers in Dawadmi City. The study applied cross sectional descriptive design with stratified random sampling used to obtain (348) female teachers statistically calculated from the total 3,708 teachers.  A structured closed ended questionnaire was used to collect data consisting of three parts: demographic information, questions to assess knowledge of female teachers about the pre-menopausal symptoms and The Health-Promoting Lifestyle Profile II to measures health-promoting behaviors. 58.9% of the subjects had poor knowledge, 30.7% had moderate knowledge and only 10.3% of teachers had Good and Excellent knowledge levels. Total mean score related to Health Promoting Behaviors was 130.05 ± 27.555 which considered medium in general. In general, socio-demographic variable of female teachers did not show significant correlations by using Pearson Chi-Square test and ANOVA test, also, did not show significant correlations for total knowledge level. Total Behaviors level, which also showed significant correlation with age (F = 1.358, p = .028) and weight during last year (F = 1.303, p = .049) categories. In conclusion, iidentifying the knowledge of women about menopause has an essential role in the development of women’s health during menopausal years. Results suggest that participants do not consistently include health-promoting behaviors into their lifestyle, especially physical activity. Therefore, certain policies should be designed and conducted to promote health behavior. Develop a process to promote worksite wellness programs, and to support behavioral changes intended to promote healthy lifestyles.