Women’s understanding and experiences of menopause in low-income and middle-income countries in the Asia Pacific region: a scoping review protocol

Abstract

IntroductionMenopause denotes the end of a woman’s reproductive life. A woman’s experiences of menopause are shaped by her individual circumstances and may vary between social and cultural contexts. Evidence is needed to inform research and programme delivery that supports women’s health and well-being throughout the menopausal transition. This scoping review will map evidence of women’s experiences of menopause in Asia Pacific countries, where limited research exists.Methods and analysisWe will follow the five-stage framework of Arksey and O’Malley, further developed by Levac et al and the Joanna Briggs Institute. MEDLINE, CINAHL, PsycINFO and Scopus databases will be systematically searched between February 2022 and May 2022 using subject headings and keywords. The title–abstract and full text of retrieved studies will be assessed against eligibility criteria. The review will focus on studies with a qualitative research component. Citation searching of selected articles will supplement database searching. Data will be extracted, charted, synthesised and summarised. Findings will be presented in narrative format and implications for research and practice reported.Ethics and disseminationEthical approval is not required for this scoping review of selected studies from peer-reviewed journals. Ethical approval has been granted from relevant ethics committees for community consultation. Findings will be shared in peer-reviewed publications, presented at conferences and disseminated with communities, health workers and researchers.

Understanding discrimination towards persons experiencing homelessness: A scoping review protocol

“…The primary goal of this expert consultation will be to understand the validity of the scoping review findings in the local context and to gather additional perspectives on the topic, as done in prior scoping reviews conducted by members of the research team 18 and others. 19 Participants will be recruited through written advertisements (eg, flyers, e-newsletters) from Salt Lake County, Utah community from housing, homelessness, health and social service agencies that support persons experiencing homelessness. Flyers will be posted at area agencies to inform potential participants about the workshop.…”

“…The sixth step in Arksey and O’Malley’s framework is ‘expert consultation.’ Following the charting of data and development of draft summaries of findings, we will conduct an approximately 3-hour World Café workshop with up to 20 service providers and 20 persons with experiences of homelessness (past or present) during which time we will present our preliminary findings and elicit feedback from participants. The primary goal of this expert consultation will be to understand the validity of the scoping review findings in the local context and to gather additional perspectives on the topic, as done in prior scoping reviews conducted by members of the research team18 and others 19…”