Menopausal Symptoms, Menopause, Visual Impairment and Blindness (Excl Colour Blindness), Women's Health Education
Conditions
Keywords
Menopause, Visually impaired women, Audio-described education, Menopause education program, Menopause knowledge, Menopausal symptoms, Randomized controlled trial
Brief summary
This randomized controlled trial was conducted to evaluate the effect of an audio-described menopause education program on menopause knowledge and menopausal symptoms in women with visual impairment. A total of 46 women who were members of the Ankara Branch of the Altı Nokta Blind Association were randomly assigned to either an intervention group (n=23) or a control group (n=23). The intervention group received an accessible menopause education program, while the control group did not receive the intervention during the study period. Outcomes included menopause knowledge and menopausal symptom severity, assessed using standardized measurement tools.
Detailed description
This study was designed as a randomized controlled trial in accordance with CONSORT guidelines. It aimed to determine the effectiveness of an audio-described menopause symptom and awareness education program for women with visual impairment on menopause knowledge and menopausal symptoms. The study sample consisted of 46 women who were members of the Ankara Branch of the Altı Nokta Blind Association. Participants were randomly allocated in a 1:1 ratio to either the intervention group (n=23) or the control group (n=23). Data were collected using a demographic information form, the Menopause Knowledge Scale, and the Menopause Rating Scale. The intervention group received an audio-described educational program designed to improve accessibility for women with visual impairment, while the control group did not receive the intervention during the study period. Statistical analyses included descriptive statistics, Fisher-Freeman-Halton Exact test, Pearson chi-square test, Cronbach's alpha reliability analysis, assessment of skewness and kurtosis for normality, Pearson correlation analysis, independent samples t-test, and analysis of covariance (ANCOVA). Statistical significance was set at p \< 0.05.
Interventions
BEHAVIORALAudio-Described Menopause Education Program
This intervention consisted of a structured audio-described menopause education program developed for women with visual impairment. The program provided accessible information about menopause, menopausal symptoms, and symptom management strategies to improve knowledge and awareness.
Sponsors
Ankara University
Study design
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
PARALLEL
Primary purpose
SUPPORTIVE_CARE
Masking
SINGLE (Outcomes Assessor)
Masking description
This study was not blinded for participants or researchers due to the nature of the educational intervention. However, the statistician who performed the data analysis was blinded to group allocation.
Intervention model description
This study was conducted as a parallel-group randomized controlled trial. Participants were randomly assigned to either an intervention group or a control group in a 1:1 allocation ratio. The study followed CONSORT guidelines for randomized trials.
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
FEMALE
Age
40 Years to 60 Years
Healthy volunteers
No
Inclusion criteria
* Being a member of the Ankara Branch of the Altı Nokta Blind Association, * Being a woman with visual impairment (congenital or acquired), * Being female, * Being between 40 and 60 years of age, * Being able to speak Turkish, * Having no additional communication problems other than visual impairment, * Having experienced at least 12 months of amenorrhea (STRAW+1 criteria).
Exclusion criteria
* Refusal to participate in the study, * Previous participation in a structured menopause-related education program, * Use of pharmacological treatment for the management of menopausal symptoms, * Use of non-pharmacological methods for menopausal symptom management (e.g., yoga, aromatherapy, phytotherapy, etc.), * Surgical menopause, * Having additional disabilities other than visual impairment (hearing, intellectual, or physical disabilities). Withdrawal / Discontinuation Criteria * Initiation of any pharmacological or non-pharmacological intervention aimed at reducing menopausal symptoms during the study period, * Non-adherence to the study protocol, * Voluntary withdrawal from the study.
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Menopausal Symptom Severity | Measured at three time points: baseline (pre-test), immediately after the intervention (T1), and 1 month post-intervention (T2). | To evaluate changes in menopausal symptom severity following the audio-described menopause education program. The Menopause Rating Scale was used to assess the severity of menopausal symptoms.The total score of the scale ranges from 0 to 44. Higher total scores indicate greater severity of menopausal symptoms and a more negative impact on quality of life. |
| Menopause Knowledge | Measured at three time points: baseline (pre-test), immediately after the intervention (T1), and 1 month post-intervention (T2). | To assess changes in menopause knowledge following the audio-described menopause education program. The total score of the "Menopause Knowledge Scale" ranges from 14 to 70, with higher scores indicating a higher level of overall knowledge about menopause. Similarly, higher scores on the General Menopause Knowledge subscale (5-25) and the Knowledge of Menopausal Symptoms and Management subscale (9-45) indicate greater knowledge in the respective domains. |
Countries
Turkey (Türkiye)
Outcome results
None listed