Objective: To explore the informational and behavioural factors, that affect women’s participation in physical activity (PA) and body weight changes during perimenopause. Methods: An environmental scan of online health websites to determine availability and quality of information for women about body weight changes during transition to menopause. An interpretive descriptive qualitative study of women age 40 – 60 to explore factors influencing their PA. Descriptive and inductive qualitative analysis were used. Results: Six of 52 websites (11.5%) contained information specific to perimenopausal women, with one site citing evidence. For 26 women interviewed, the most common enabling factors were daily structure, positive feelings, and accountability; while common barriers were disruptions in daily structure, competing demands, and self - sacrifice. Conclusions: There is a lack of information regarding body weight changes for perimenopausal women. Perimenopausal women attribute their PA participation to psychosocial factors, and not the physiology of menopause.

Objective: To explore the informational and behavioural factors, that affect women’s participation in physical activity (PA) and body weight changes during perimenopause. Methods: An environmental scan of online health websites to determine availability and quality of information for women about body weight changes during transition to menopause. An interpretive descriptive qualitative study of women age 40 – 60 to explore factors influencing their PA. Descriptive and inductive qualitative analysis were used. Results: Six of 52 websites (11.5%) contained information specific to perimenopausal women, with one site citing evidence. For 26 women interviewed, the most common enabling factors were daily structure, positive feelings, and accountability; while common barriers were disruptions in daily structure, competing demands, and self - sacrifice. Conclusions: There is a lack of information regarding body weight changes for perimenopausal women. Perimenopausal women attribute their PA participation to psychosocial factors, and not the physiology of menopause.

Objective: To explore the informational and behavioural factors, that affect women’s participation in physical activity (PA) and body weight changes during perimenopause. Methods: An environmental scan of online health websites to determine availability and quality of information for women about body weight changes during transition to menopause. An interpretive descriptive qualitative study of women age 40 – 60 to explore factors influencing their PA. Descriptive and inductive qualitative analysis were used. Results: Six of 52 websites (11.5%) contained information specific to perimenopausal women, with one site citing evidence. For 26 women interviewed, the most common enabling factors were daily structure, positive feelings, and accountability; while common barriers were disruptions in daily structure, competing demands, and self - sacrifice. Conclusions: There is a lack of information regarding body weight changes for perimenopausal women. Perimenopausal women attribute their PA participation to psychosocial factors, and not the physiology of menopause.

abstract: Obesity is a worldwide epidemic. Countries in the Middle East, Central and Eastern Europe, as well as North America have the highest prevalence of obesity in the world. Perimenopause is a transitional period in the life of a woman, occurring a few years before and a year after menopause or last menses. During this period, a woman may experience several physiological, psychological and socio-economical changes that may affect the health promotion efforts related to weight management. Perimenopausal obesity prevalence is high in Middle-Eastern countries and is a particular problem in Gulf Cooperation Council Countries (GCC). Despite the high prevalence of obesity in GCC countries and its comorbidities among the perimenopausal women, not much attention is given to it. There is lack of understanding regarding the perception of perimenopausal women of midlife weight gain. This study proposed a qualitative descriptive design that used semi-structured interviewing, and conventional content analysis. The purpose of this study was to examine the culturally specific views of perimenopausal GCC women concerning the causes and processes of midlife weight gain. Constructs derived from the health belief and explanatory models to identify and sort themes into conceptual categories were used. The themes and initial interpretations were brought forward into the organizing and explanatory framework of the socioecological model for further exploration and elucidation. The problem of overweight/obesity among the perimenopausal women in GCC countries was found to have many dimensions. These dimensions interacted at multiple levels (individual, interpersonal, organizational and community) and encompassed factors salient in both the HBM and Kleinman's model of disease and risk behaviors. The findings of this study suggest that weight-management programs targeting perimenopausal GCC women should be planned based on the multilevel factors that are expressed by them. / Dissertation/Thesis / Ph.D. Nursing 2012

Objective: To explore the informational and behavioural factors, that affect women’s participation in physical activity (PA) and body weight changes during perimenopause. Methods: An environmental scan of online health websites to determine availability and quality of information for women about body weight changes during transition to menopause. An interpretive descriptive qualitative study of women age 40 – 60 to explore factors influencing their PA. Descriptive and inductive qualitative analysis were used. Results: Six of 52 websites (11.5%) contained information specific to perimenopausal women, with one site citing evidence. For 26 women interviewed, the most common enabling factors were daily structure, positive feelings, and accountability; while common barriers were disruptions in daily structure, competing demands, and self - sacrifice. Conclusions: There is a lack of information regarding body weight changes for perimenopausal women. Perimenopausal women attribute their PA participation to psychosocial factors, and not the physiology of menopause.

Around the world, women are subject to an earlier incidence of cataracts, have a higher risk for cataracts, and also have a higher risk for other vision-related problems than men. Previous research has indicated an association between endogenous lead stored in long bones and cataracts in men over 60 years of age; however, a similar study in women did not reveal an association. This case control study was conducted to investigate whether perimenopausal mobilization of endogenous lead serves as a possible causative factor for women's generalized vision issues and cataract incidence in particular. Secondary data were gathered from 1,416 women aged 40 to 55 years of age from the 2005-2006 and 2007-2008 National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys. Variables of interest included vision-related issues, cataract surgeries, bone density data, blood lead levels, and markers of lead mobilization. The results of the logistic regression analysis in the absence of confounders (OR = 1.50, 95% CI [1.08, 2.09]) indicated that endogenous lead is a possible causative factor for the low-level vision problems women experience during their perimenopausal years. Chi-square analysis of mobilized lead was also associated with cataract surgeries, p < .05. This appears to be the first report of a possible association between lead and cataracts in women and highlights the need for women to be studied in the context of their biology when their clinical results differ from those of men. These results should engender positive social change initiatives to minimize women's perimenopausal exposure to endogenous lead. Recommendations for further research include a case control study, which includes plasma lead levels, and a longitudinal study.

Bakgrund Kvinnor i åldersgrupp 45-59 år har ofta kommit in i klimakteriet och cirka 70 procent av dem upplever klimakteriebesvär. Perioden kan vara utmanande och medför tillhörande fysiska och psykosociala förändringar som markerar slutet på reproduktivt liv. Vid mötet med kvinnor i klimakteriet har sjuksköterskan en viktig undervisande funktion som kännetecknas av personcentrerat förhållningssätt. Hälsolitteracitet påverkar kvinnornas förmåga att ta emot hälsoundervisning, men också förutsättningar för sjukvårdpersonal att förmedla kunskapen. Det finns behov att närmare titta på rollen av hälsoundervisning under klimakteriet. Syfte Syftet var att belysa hälso- och sjukvårdens hälsoundervisning till kvinnor under klimakteriet. Metod En icke-systematisk litteraturöversikt har genomförts som bygger på 14 kvalitetsgranskade artiklar. Artiklar omfattar kvalitativ, kvantitativ och mixad ansats. Sökningar genomfördes i databaser PubMed och CINAHL. Integrerad dataanalys användes som analysmodell vid sammanställning av resultat. Resultat Genom dataanalysen identifierades tre huvudkategorier: Kvinnornas förkunskaper, Hälsoundervisningens faciliterande faktorer och hälsoundervisningens hämmande faktorer. De huvudfynden visade att kvinnorna hade svårigheter i att känna igen klimakteriesymptom och hade bristande uppfattning om menopausala hälsokonsekvenser. Bristen på information och utbildning hos kvinnor och vårdpersonal, samt låg hälsolitteracitet, hindrade hälsoundervisningen. Dåliga förkunskaper påverkade livskvaliteten och ledde till negativa föreställningar under klimakteriet. Litteraturöversiktens resultat diskuterades med utgångspunkten i Meleis transitionsteori med fokus på både kvinnors och vårdpersonalens perspektiv. Slutsats Det finns ett behov av ökad utbildning och informationsspridning om klimakteriet, dess symtom och hälsokonsekvenser för att förbättra hälsofrämjande och sjukdomsförebyggande arbete. Sjuksköterskor kan spela en viktig roll i detta genom att upptäcka dessa kunskapsluckor, ge kvinnor nödvändig kunskapsutrustning och stöd för en hälsosam övergång. / Background Women aged 45-59 have often entered climacteric period and around 70 percent of them experience menopausal symptoms. The period can be challenging and brings associated physical and psychosocial changes that mark the end of the reproductive life. When meeting climacteric women, the nurse has an important teaching function characterized by person-centered approach. Health literacy can affect women's ability to receive health education, but also the conditions for healthcare personnel to pass on the knowledge. There is a need to look more closely about the role of health education in climacteric women. Aim The aim was to shed light on the health care system's health education for women during climacteric. Method A non-systematic literature review was conducted based on 14 articles. Articles include qualitative, quantitative, and mixed approaches. Searches were conducted in databases PubMed and CINAHL. Integrated data analysis was used as an analysis model when compiling results. Results Through the data analysis, three major categories were identified: The women's prior knowledge, Facilitating factors for health education and Inhibiting factors for health education. The main findings showed that women had difficulty recognizing menopausal symptoms and had a low perception of menopausal health consequences. The lack of information and education among women and healthcare providers, as well as low health literacy, hindered health education. Poor prior knowledge affected quality of life and led to negative beliefs during menopause. The results from the literature review were discussed based on Meleis' transition theory with a focus on both women's and healthcare providers' perspectives. Conclusions There is a need for increased education and dissemination of information about the symptoms and health consequences of climacteric to improve health promotion. Nurses can play an important role in this by identifying knowledge gaps, providing women with the necessary knowledge and support for a healthy transition.