Place of residence and age as variables differentiating health behaviours and perception of health by women past menopause

Abstract

Introduction. Research on the meaning of health and health behaviors is important for the development of health education programmes which should be tailored to the needs of patients. Objective. The aim of the study is to determine whether the place of residence and age have an impact on health behaviours and the perception of health by women past menopause. Materials and method. A survey method and three research instruments were employed: authors' questionnaire, the Health Behaviour Inventory and the Health Criteria List by Juczyński, and the Kupperman Index. The study was carried out among a sample of 102 women after menopause hospitalised in a hospital in eastern Poland. Results. The overall health behaviour indicator (HBI) in the study group was found to reach an average value of 80.1±12.7points. A higher HBI indicator was found to be characteristic of urban rather than rural residents; however, there was no statistically significant difference (p>0.05). The age of respondents did not differentiate statistically their health behaviours (p>0.05). Women who reported their last menstruation before the age of 50 obtained higher results in the dimension of health practices (HPs) than those whose last menstruation ceased after the age of 50 (p<0.05). The respondents attributed the highest importance to health, understood as a property, a state and a goal. Statistically significant differences were observed in the importance of the statement according to which health is a process of "being able to work without tension and stress", as the respondents from urban areas assigned to it a higher average weight than those from rural areas (p< 0.05). Conclusions. A higher overall HBI, as well as indicators for particular categories, were characteristic of women from urban areas. Age did not significantly differentiate the women's health behaviours. Rural residents were dominant in the group of women who rated their health to be very good or good. The respondents attributed the highest importance to health understood as a property, state and goal.

Satisfaction with Life and Health Behaviours in Pre-Seniors and Seniors: A Cross-Sectional Cohort Study

“…Regarding urban versus rural health behaviours, some authors report that city dwellers are more likely to engage in positive health behaviours [48,49], which may explain the high HBI results in our study, as our respondents were city residents. Furthermore, higher social status and better access to education, often associated with urban living, could be contributing factors [50].…”

Relationship Between Frequency and Intensity of Menopausal Symptoms and Quality of Life Among Polish Nurses

“…43 Many researchers suggest that health-related behavior determines the quality of women's health and life and also affects menopausal problems. 35,36,44 Quinn and Cedars point out that positive health behaviors, ie stopping smoking, maintaining a healthy weight and reducing alcohol consumption, are important for optimizing fertility and overall health condition. 36…”