School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, Australia.
Menopause. 2012 Dec;19(12):1300-8. doi: 10.1097/gme.0b013e31825fd14e.
The aim of this study was to investigate and compare symptom experiences, beliefs, attitudes, and understanding of menopause and menopausal therapies in Australian and Laotian women.
This was a cross-cultural, questionnaire-based study involving 108 women (56 Australian women and 52 Laotian women aged 40-65 y) attending outpatient clinics in Australia and Laos. Descriptive statistics and univariate analysis were conducted using Student's t test or Mann-Whitney U test, where appropriate.
Psychological symptoms, depression, vasomotor symptoms, and sexual dysfunction were significantly higher in Australian women compared with Laotian women (P < 0.05). Australian women perceived the meaning of menopause as aging (57%), whereas most Laotian women reported not knowing what menopause meant to them (81%). Australian women's fears about menopause included weight gain (43%), aging (41%), and breast cancer (38%), whereas Laotian women reported not knowing about potential menopausal problems (85%). Exercise (55%), education and awareness (46%), and improving lifestyle (41%) were reported by Australian women as being effective in alleviating menopausal symptoms, with only 21% reporting not knowing what was effective compared with 83% of Laotian women. Many women reported not knowing the risks/benefits of hormonal therapies (50% of Australian women and 87% of Laotian women) and herbal therapies (79% of Australian women and 92% of Laotian women). General practitioners were the most common source of menopause information for both Australians (73%) and Laotians (67%).
Sociocultural factors influence women's perception of menopause. Psychological symptoms, sexual dysfunction, and vasomotor symptoms are more commonly reported by Australian women than by Laotian women. Women have a limited understanding of the risks/benefits of menopausal therapies, and culturally appropriate education is needed.
本研究旨在调查和比较澳大利亚和老挝女性的绝经症状体验、信念、态度和对绝经和绝经治疗的理解。
这是一项跨文化、基于问卷的研究，涉及 108 名女性（56 名澳大利亚女性和 52 名 40-65 岁的老挝女性），她们在澳大利亚和老挝的门诊诊所就诊。使用学生 t 检验或曼-惠特尼 U 检验进行描述性统计和单变量分析，在适当的情况下。
与老挝女性相比，澳大利亚女性的心理症状、抑郁、血管舒缩症状和性功能障碍显著更高（P<0.05）。澳大利亚女性将绝经的意义理解为衰老（57%），而大多数老挝女性报告不知道绝经对她们意味着什么（81%）。澳大利亚女性对绝经的恐惧包括体重增加（43%）、衰老（41%）和乳腺癌（38%），而老挝女性报告不知道潜在的绝经问题（85%）。澳大利亚女性报告运动（55%）、教育和意识（46%）和改善生活方式（41%）可有效缓解绝经症状，只有 21%的人报告不知道什么有效，而 83%的老挝女性报告不知道什么有效。许多女性报告不知道激素治疗（50%的澳大利亚女性和 87%的老挝女性）和草药治疗（79%的澳大利亚女性和 92%的老挝女性）的风险/益处。全科医生是澳大利亚（73%）和老挝（67%）女性最常见的绝经信息来源。
社会文化因素影响女性对绝经的看法。澳大利亚女性比老挝女性更常报告心理症状、性功能障碍和血管舒缩症状。女性对绝经治疗的风险/益处知之甚少，需要进行文化适宜的教育。
