Deeks Amanda, Zoungas Sophia, Teede Helena
Monash University Institute for Health Services Research, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
Menopause. 2008 Mar-Apr;15(2):304-9. doi: 10.1097/gme.0b013e31812f7b65.
To investigate risk perceptions in relation to menopausal experiences, comparing premenopausal women's expectations to actual experiences of menopause, including perceptions of symptoms, fears, risks of future illnesses, and side effects of symptomatic treatments.
This was a cohort study using surveys in a random sample of Australians participating in an Australian Health Report series, supported by Pfizer. This article focuses on perceptions about menopause of 710 women.
Peri- and postmenopausal women experienced more fatigue, sleeplessness, fluid retention, and bloating than premenopausal women expected to experience. Perimenopausal and postmenopausal women rated menopause as the "first day of the rest of [my] life" significantly more than premenopausal women. All women perceived that menopause had an impact on aging and weight gain, but more premenopausal women feared loss of sexuality (55%), loss of femininity (39%), and the inability to have more children (37%). Perceptions of illnesses differed from actual incidence, with 27% of all women perceiving breast cancer and 11% perceiving heart disease as a health risk, compared with actual female mortality figures of 3% and 41%, respectively. Perceptions of the effects of hormone therapy were inaccurate, with 53% of all women expecting a reduction in hot flushes, 44% expecting that hormone therapy increased breast cancer, and 23% expecting that hormone therapy decreased fractures.
This study suggests a difference between perceptions of symptoms, fears, risks of future illnesses, and side effects of symptomatic treatments at menopause and actual experience. Because risk perception influences health-related behaviors, visits to healthcare providers, and treatment decisions and can be modified through education, an understanding of risk perception is clinically important. Further research is needed.
研究与绝经经历相关的风险认知，比较绝经前女性对绝经实际经历的期望，包括症状感知、恐惧、未来患病风险以及对症治疗的副作用。
这是一项队列研究，对参与澳大利亚健康报告系列的澳大利亚随机抽样人群进行调查，由辉瑞公司提供支持。本文重点关注710名女性对绝经的认知。
围绝经期和绝经后女性经历的疲劳、失眠、水肿和腹胀比绝经前女性预期的更多。围绝经期和绝经后女性将绝经评为“余生的第一天”的比例显著高于绝经前女性。所有女性都认为绝经会对衰老和体重增加产生影响，但更多绝经前女性担心失去性欲（55%）、失去女性特质（39%）以及无法再生育（37%）。对疾病的认知与实际发病率不同，所有女性中有27%认为乳腺癌是健康风险，11%认为心脏病是健康风险，而实际女性死亡率分别为3%和41%。对激素疗法效果的认知不准确，所有女性中有53%期望潮热减少，44%期望激素疗法会增加患乳腺癌的风险，23%期望激素疗法会降低骨折风险。
本研究表明，绝经时症状、恐惧、未来患病风险以及对症治疗副作用的认知与实际经历之间存在差异。由于风险认知会影响与健康相关的行为、就医频率和治疗决策，并且可以通过教育加以改变，因此了解风险认知在临床上具有重要意义。还需要进一步研究。
