Dataset Information

Menopausal symptom experience: an online forum study.

ABSTRACT: The aim of the study was to explore the menopausal symptom experience of White midlife women.Recent cross-cultural investigations have indicated important ethnic differences in menopausal symptoms and have challenged the universality of these symptoms. Currently available cultural knowledge on menopausal experience, however, is inadequate to guide appropriate and adequate care even for White women in the menopausal transition.A cross-sectional qualitative online forum study was conducted in 2007 with 23 midlife women who self-identified as non-Hispanic Whites using convenience sampling. Seven topics related to menopausal symptom experience were used to guide the online forum for 6 months. The data were analysed using thematic analysis.The experiences of menopause caused women to redefine themselves within their busy daily life schedules. They were optimistic about their symptoms, and tried to laugh at the experience to boost their inner strength and motivate themselves to persevere. Many thought that both generational and life-style differences were much more important than ethnic differences in menopausal symptom experiences. In seeking assistance with the symptoms of menopause, women were not satisfied with the guidance of their physicians.Nurses need to listen carefully to what women themselves say about their own experiences with menopausal symptoms and avoid imposing predetermined symptom management strategies. Further studies of women's perceptions of life-style influences are needed to guide symptom management. In addition, studies of generational changes in menopausal symptom experience are needed.

SUBMITTER: Im EO

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2430027 | biostudies-literature | 2008 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Publications

Menopausal symptom experience: an online forum study.

Im Eun-Ok EO Liu Yi Y Dormire Sharon S Chee Wonshik W

Journal of advanced nursing 20080325 5

<h4>Aim</h4>The aim of the study was to explore the menopausal symptom experience of White midlife women.<h4>Background</h4>Recent cross-cultural investigations have indicated important ethnic differences in menopausal symptoms and have challenged the universality of these symptoms. Currently available cultural knowledge on menopausal experience, however, is inadequate to guide appropriate and adequate care even for White women in the menopausal transition.<h4>Method</h4>A cross-sectional qualit ...[more]

PMID: 18373610

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Project description:BACKGROUND:A minimum standard based upon consensus decision making recommends a core set of tinnitus-specific health complaints (outcome domains) that should be assessed and reported in all clinical trials as this enables comparisons to be made across studies as well as data pooling for meta-analysis. OBJECTIVE:This study aimed to further clarify how the outcome domain concepts should be defined for 5 of the core set: tinnitus intrusiveness, sense of control, acceptance of tinnitus, concentration, and ability to ignore. This step requires a clear and fully elaborated definition for each outcome domain, moving from an abstract or a vague concept to an operationalized and measurable health-related construct, so that a suitable measurement instrument can then be identified. METHODS:A series of 5 focus group-style semistructured discussions were conducted via a Web-based discussion forum, each open for 2 weeks and ending with a vote. The participants included 148 tinnitus experts who completed a preceding e-Delphi survey that had generated the original set of minimum standards. The participants were health care users living with tinnitus, health care professionals, clinical researchers, commercial representatives, and funders. RESULTS:The Web discussions led to a revision of all 5 original plain language definitions that had been used in the preceding e-Delphi survey. Each revised definition was voted by 8 to 53 participants and reached the prespecified threshold of 70% consensus for all except tinnitus intrusiveness. Although a single definition was not agreed upon for tinnitus intrusiveness, the majority of participants shared the view that the concept should be sufficiently broad to encapsulate a range of subdomains. The examples included tinnitus awareness, unpleasantness, and impact on different aspects of everyday life. Thematic analysis of the 5 Web-based discussion threads gave important insights into expert interpretations of each core outcome domain, generating an operationalized and measurable health construct in each case. CONCLUSIONS:The qualitative data gathered during the Web-based discussion forum provided an important in-depth understanding of the health concepts that had raised a debate during earlier face-to-face meetings. The descriptive summaries and definitions provide sufficient operationalization of those concepts to proceed to the second stage of core outcome set development that is to identify and evaluate suitable measurement instruments. This study supports the use of Web-based peer discussion forums in defining health concepts.

Project description:ObjectiveThe aim of this study was to assess vasomotor and other menopausal symptoms before starting estrogens or placebo, 1 year later, again at trial closure, and after stopping estrogens or placebo. The role of baseline symptoms and age was examined, as was the frequency and determinants of hormone use and symptom management strategies after discontinuing conjugated equine estrogens (CEE) or placebo.MethodsIntent-to-treat analyses of 10,739 postmenopausal women before and 1 year after randomization to CEE or placebo at 40 clinical centers and a cohort analysis of participants (n = 3,496) who continued taking assigned study pills up to trial closure and completed symptom surveys shortly before (mean, 7.4 +/- 1.1 y from baseline) and after (mean, 306 +/- 55 d after trial closure) stopping pills were performed. Generalized linear regression modeled vasomotor symptoms, vaginal dryness, breast tenderness, pain/stiffness, and mood swings as a function of treatment assignment and baseline symptoms, before and after stopping study pills.ResultsApproximately one third of participants reported at least one moderate to severe symptom at baseline. Fewer symptoms were reported with increasing age, except joint pain/stiffness, which was similar among age groups. At 1 year, hot flashes, night sweats, and vaginal dryness were reduced by CEE, whereas breast tenderness was increased. Breast tenderness was also significantly higher in the CEE group at trial closure. After stopping, vasomotor symptoms were reported by significantly more women who had reported symptoms at baseline, compared with those who had not, and by significantly more participants assigned to CEE (9.8%) versus placebo (3.2%); however, among women with no moderate or severe symptoms at baseline, more than five times as many reported hot flashes after stopping CEE (7.2%) versus placebo (1.5%).ConclusionsCEE significantly reduced vasomotor symptoms and vaginal dryness in women with baseline symptoms but increased breast tenderness. The likelihood of experiencing symptoms was significantly higher after stopping CEE than placebo regardless of baseline symptom status. These potential effects should be considered before initiating CEE to relieve menopausal symptoms.

Project description:BackgroundA key factor in successfully reducing and quitting smoking, as well as preventing smoking relapse is access to and engagement with social support. Recent technological advances have made it possible for smokers to access social support via online community forums. While community forums associated with smoking cessation interventions are now common practice, there is a gap in understanding how and when the different types of social support identified by Cutrona and Suhr (1992) (emotional, esteem, informational, tangible, and network) are exchanged on such forums. Community forums that entail "superusers" (a key marker of a successful forum), like QuitNow, are ripe for exploring and leveraging promising social support exchanges on these platforms.ObjectiveThe purpose of this study was to characterize the posts made on the QuitNow community forum at different stages in the quit journey, and determine when and how the social support constructs are present within the posts.MethodsA total of 506 posts (including original and response posts) were collected. Using conventional content analysis, the original posts were coded inductively to generate categories and subcategories, and the responses were coded deductively according to the 5 types of social support. Data were analyzed using Microsoft Excel software.ResultsOverall, individuals were most heavily engaged on the forum during the first month of quitting, which then tapered off in the subsequent months. In relation to the original posts, the majority of them fit into the categories of sharing quit successes, quit struggles, updates, quit strategies, and desires to quit. Asking for advice and describing smoke-free benefits were the least represented categories. In relation to the responses, encouragement (emotional), compliment (esteem), and suggestion/advice (informational) consistently remained the most prominent types of support throughout all quit stages. Companionship (network) maintained a steady downward trajectory over time.ConclusionsThe findings of this study highlight the complexity of how and when different types of social support are exchanged on the QuitNow community forum. These findings provide directions for how social support can be more strategically employed and leveraged in these online contexts to support smoking cessation.

Dataset Information

Menopausal symptom experience: an online forum study.

Publications

Menopausal symptom experience: an online forum study.

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