The effect of self-care education program on the severity of menopause symptoms and marital satisfaction in postmenopausal women: a randomized controlled clinical trial

Abstract

Background Physiological and psychological changes during menopause can affect the quality of marital satisfaction. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of self-care education program on the severity of menopause symptoms and marital satisfaction in postmenopausal women. Methods In this randomized controlled clinical trial, 70 postmenopausal women who referred to the gynecology clinic of Baqiyatallah and 502 Artesh hospitals in Tehran, Iran, and met the all inclusion criteria were randomly allocated into two equal groups (intervention and control groups) using block randomization. The intervention group received self-care training program in physical, psychological, social and sexual dimensions in 5 sessions during a week. The control group also had 5 sessions exactly the same as the intervention group, except that they received only routine care and training. Data were collected pre- and post-intervention using Menopause Symptoms' Severity Inventory (MSSI-38) questionnaire and the Revised Dyadic Adjustment Scale (RDAS) questionnaire. Results In the control and intervention groups before the intervention, socio-demographic characteristics (P > 0.05), the mean scores of MSSI-38 (P = 0.388) and RADS (P = 0.476) were not statistically significant. However, in the intervention group the mean scores of MSSI-38 (49.88 ± 3.3 vs. 39.33 ± 3.7, P < 0.001) and RADS (35.15 ± 4.3 vs. 49.48 ± 3.2, P < 0.001) after the intervention changed significantly and this change were statistically significant compared to the control group. Significant inverse correlation between severity of menopausal symptoms and marital satisfaction was observed with r = -0.461, P < 0.001. Conclusion Our findings indicate that self-care training has a positive effect on the severity of menopause symptoms and also improves marital satisfaction in postmenopausal women. Therefore, we recommend that more attention be paid to providing self-care educational content to improve the marital satisfaction in postmenopausal women. Clinical trial registration Iranian Registry of Clinical Trials; https://www.irct.ir/trial/49225 (IRCT20200624047910N1), registered (10/11/2020).

The effect of mobile app-based self-care training on the quality of marital relations and the severity of menopausal symptoms in postmenopausal women: a clinical trial study in Iran

“…The use of self-care and self-management methods may directly improve the symptoms related to the genital tract after menopause (such as vaginal dryness) or indirectly improve marital relations by reducing the severity of menopause symptoms. The severity of menopause symptoms has a direct relationship with the quality of marital relations [ 14 ].…”

“…Women spend more than one-third of their lives after menopause [ 19 ], and the severity of menopause symptoms and the quality of marital relationships affect the quality of life of their lives [ 14 ]. Therefore, they must be empowered for self-care.…”

“…The quality of marital relations, which may be disturbed during menopause, is one of the dimensions of quality of life [ 11 ]. The quality of marital relations includes various dimensions of a couple's relationship, such as sexual relations, compatibility, happiness, life satisfaction, cohesion, and commitment [ 12 – 14 ]. Sexual relations are among the most important aspects of marital relations that are affected during menopause [ 3 ].…”

“…Nurses and midwives are considered vital components of the health care team since the nature of their everyday work is such that it provides an opportunity to encourage and influence postmenopausal women to acquire correct self-care behaviors [ 20 , 21 ]. Educational interventions to teach the correct principles of self-care are a necessary solution to improve health and help postmenopausal women better cope with menopause problems and personal disabilities and increase self-efficacy [ 14 ]. Like increasing awareness and modifying lifestyle, self-care can also help solve health-related problems [ 6 ].…”

Assessment of Relationship between Lifestyle Behaviors and Severity of Perimenopausal Symptoms among Women

“…Menopause is a stage of transition from a reproductive to a non-reproductive state in the life of a woman, characterized by low secretion of female reproductive hormones (Karimi et al, 2022). It is defined by the World Health Organization (WHO) as "the cessation of menstruation permanently caused by loss of ovarian function" (Armo & Sainik, 2020).…”