A Comparative Study on Knowledge and Attitude among Women in Pre and Post Menopause in Tura Region

The word menopause literally means permanent cessation of menstrual cycle. It is derived from Greek word ‘Meno’ means month and ‘pausis’ means cessation. Due to hormonal imbalance women experience various body changes which result in psychological as well as physiological changes that affect the overall health status. The main aim of the study was to assess the lifestyle and dietary pattern in pre and post menopausal women, secondly to assess the nutritional knowledge and attitude, lastly to compare the severity symptoms prevailing in pre and post menopause women. The study was done in three different areas of Tura i. e. Kantagre, Duragre and Rongkhon. The present study comprised of women in the age group 40 to 60 years. The data were randomly collected, with the help of a structured questionnaire which include the socio-demographic profile, reproductive history, menopausal symptom, knowledge and attitude question, and the food frequency question. All the data collected via different parameters were statistically analyzed and results obtained were tabulated. Mean and percentage were calculated by using Microsoft Office Excel 2010. The mean age of pre- menopause was 40-45 years whereas the mean age of post-menopause was 46-50 years. From the present study it was found that most of the women are suffering from menopausal symptoms like hot flashes, followed by fatigue, mood swings, irritability, frequent urination and joint pain. From the studied women, it was found that there was a lack of awareness regarding the consequences of menopause. So, public health care system should take some measure to improve women’s awareness and knowledge about menopause related issue by conducting an educational and counseling program, which may enable them to manage it in a proper way and help them to seek timely treatment for the same and improve quality of life during and after menopause.