An exploration of women's knowledge and experience of perimenopause and menopause: An integrative literature review

Abstract

Aim: To explore the international literature related to women's knowledge and experience of perimenopause and menopause and to inform future directions for research and individualised healthcare delivery.

Background: Menopause is a normal physiological process experienced by most women. Despite this, care and support is fragmented and the implication on women's long-term health is not sufficiently understood.

Design: An integrative review of primary research on women's knowledge and experience of perimenopause and menopause.

Method: CINAHL, Medline, Wiley Online Library, SCOPUS, PubMed and Google Scholar were searched from 2011 to 2021.Quantitative and qualitative studies written in English exploring women's knowledge and experience of menopause were included. The search strategy for the review complied with PRISMA guidelines. The mixed methods appraisal tool was used to assess quality. Thematic analysis was employed to present a narrative synthesis of the data.

Results: A total of 17 studies, comprising 10 quantitative, and seven qualitative studies met the inclusion criteria. The four themes regarding women's knowledge and experience of perimenopause and menopause identified in the literature were as follows: (1) Symptoms associated with perimenopause and menopause; (2) Strategies to manage symptoms; (3) Support and information (4) Attitudes, education and health literacy.

Conclusion: This integrative review of the international literature highlights that women's knowledge of perimenopause and menopause varies significantly globally and within countries. The experience of perimenopause and menopause for women is heterogenous and influenced by deeply embedded sociocultural patterns.

Relevance for clinical practice: This integrative review has shown that individualised support for women during perimenopause and menopause is critical to ensure the diverse needs of women are suitably addressed.

No patient or public contribution: As this was a review of the literature, no patients, service users, caregivers or members of the public were involved in this review.

Keywords: experience; gender; knowledge; menopause; nursing; perimenopause; women.