Graduate Program

Family and Consumer Studies

Degree Name

Master of Arts (MA)

Semester of Degree Completion

2007

Thesis Director

Jeanne Snyder

Thesis Committee Member

Kathleen O'Rourke

Thesis Committee Member

Phyllis Croisant

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to determine if women's knowledge of perimenopause, menopause, and related health issues increased after participation in an educational workshop. The first objective was to determine if there was an increase in particip cipants' knowledge of physiological and psychological changes often experienced during perimenopause, menopause, and related health issues. Two further objectives were to determine if women reported learned treatment options and made any behavioral health changes to manage perimenopause, menopause, and related health issues, from attending the educational workshop, during a 3-month follow-up telephone survey. A quasiexperimental pre-test and post-test design involved a purposive sample. Women age 40 to 60 years old voluntarily participated in the educational workshop. Participants completed a demographic questionnaire, a pre-test, a post-test, and a 3-month follow-up telephone survey. Pre-test and post-test scores were analyzed by a paired t-test with an alpha level of .05. The difference between the mean score for the pre-test and post-test reflected a significant difference t (168) =9.11, p=.000. The 3-month follow-up telephone survey was completed by 157 women who participated in the educational workshop. Ninety percent of the women reported increasing their knowledge of treatment optioions and 43% reported some form of behavioral health change as a result of attending the memenopausal educational workshop. Initial participation by 221 women involved in the workshop reflects a strong interest surrounding mid-life phases in this rural Midwdestern county.

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