Psychosocial & Cultural Factors Influence on Menopausal Attitudes in Women

Abstract

Menopause is a natural process that typically occurs in a woman’s life between the ages of 45 and 55 in which hormone fluctuations occur and the menstrual cycle permanently stops. There are three stages: menopause, premenopause, and perimenopause. While there are a variety of menopausal attitudes and preconceived notions that women might have,  there is a lack of research about what specific factors cause menopausal attitudes and preconceived notions that many women have. This qualitative research study investigated psychosocial and cultural factors that influence menopausal attitudes in women. The survey/questionnaire method was utilized to collect data from a wide pool of female participants of varying age groups and backgrounds. Through analyzing six aspects of demographic information, menopause-specific questions, numerical scale questions, and open-ended questions I concluded that a woman’s attitudes towards menopause may be influenced by different cultural backgrounds and age groups which held to the predictions made before the survey's release. Based on the results of the survey, these positive and negative perspectives that women have regarding menopause may also impact the physical and emotional experience of menopause itself.