Jaffe Elana, Rosen David, Palmquist Aunchalee, Knittel Andrea K
UNC School of Medicine and the Department of Maternal, Child, and Family Health, Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA.
Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA.
Int J Prison Health. 2022 Jun 2;18(2):176-184. doi: 10.1108/IJPH-07-2021-0068.
This study aims to estimate the prevalence of individuals receiving hormone therapy for menopause management and the prevalence of underlying conditions that may constrain options for pharmacologic menopause management in the prison context.
DESIGN/METHODOLOGY/APPROACH: This study reviewed all prescriptions dispensed by the North Carolina Department of Public Safety between July 1, 2015, and June 30, 2016, for relevance to menopause management. Relevant medications were those either recommended for menopause management or those indicated for management of conditions that may complicate menopause management, as per the 2015 clinical decision-support algorithm tool developed by the North American Menopause Society. Analysis was restricted to women between the ages of 45 and 75.
Of 1,120 women, a majority (77.8%) were between the ages of 45 and 54. Less than 5% of individuals in this study were prescribed estrogen-containing therapy. The most commonly prescribed medications that may constrain options for menopause treatment were related to hypertension and other cardiovascular disease or mental health conditions.
RESEARCH LIMITATIONS/IMPLICATIONS: The retrospective nature of this data set limits the findings, given that researchers did not have access to diagnoses or data on polypharmacy. Still, this study indicates that many women over 45 experiencing incarceration are living with health conditions that may complicate menopause symptom management with hormone therapy. Future research in carceral settings must examine the prevalence of menopause-related symptoms as well as access to and quality of comprehensive menopause management.
ORIGINALITY/VALUE: There is a paucity of literature around the menopause-related needs of individuals experiencing incarceration. To the best of the authors' knowledge, no other research has examined prevalence of pharmacologic menopause management among women who are incarcerated.
本研究旨在估计接受激素疗法进行更年期管理的个体的患病率，以及在监狱环境中可能限制药物性更年期管理选择的潜在疾病的患病率。
设计/方法/途径：本研究回顾了北卡罗来纳州公共安全部在2015年7月1日至2016年6月30日期间发放的所有与更年期管理相关的处方。根据北美更年期协会2015年开发的临床决策支持算法工具，相关药物是那些推荐用于更年期管理的药物，或用于治疗可能使更年期管理复杂化的疾病的药物。分析仅限于45至75岁的女性。
在1120名女性中，大多数（77.8%）年龄在45至54岁之间。本研究中不到5%的个体被开具含雌激素疗法的处方。最常开具的可能限制更年期治疗选择的药物与高血压、其他心血管疾病或心理健康状况有关。
研究局限性/影响：鉴于研究人员无法获取多药治疗的诊断或数据，该数据集的回顾性限制了研究结果。尽管如此，本研究表明，许多45岁以上的被监禁女性患有可能使激素疗法的更年期症状管理复杂化的健康状况。未来在监狱环境中的研究必须调查更年期相关症状的患病率以及获得全面更年期管理的机会和质量。
原创性/价值：关于被监禁个体与更年期相关需求的文献很少。据作者所知，没有其他研究调查过被监禁女性中药物性更年期管理的患病率。
