This qualitative inquiry sought to explore how relationships are experienced in every day moments of care provided to childbearing women, infants, and families. Fifteen health care providers and thirteen childbearing women were interviewed regarding the degree to which these relationships have impacts on women’s health capacities and outcomes of care. These experiences were examined within the context of the broader social and cultural contexts of maternal-infant care. All twenty eight participants in the study were involved with an antenatal home care program and a neonatal intensive care unit within the Lower Mainland Health Authority in British Columbia. The epistemological and methodological approach to the study combined relational and pragmatist perspectives on knowledge and a deconstructionist hermeneutic lens. Findings indicate that participants’ experiences are created in each moment of interpersonal care, and the interactions between health care providers and child-bearing women are far from neutral in terms of their impact on women’s health capacities and outcomes of care. Clear distinctions in perspectives among the two groups emerged: the child-bearing women dismissed the use of the term ‘relationship’ in describing their experiences with health care providers. In contrast, health care providers spoke of their assumption that the basis of engagement was a supportive relationship, the primary vehicle through which neutral and impartial health care is provided. The findings detail that relationships are sites of meaningful experiences and can facilitate as well as constrain women’s agency and self-worth; some of these experiences jeopardized the women’s health capacities and outcomes of care as they endured health challenges in pregnancy and as they mothered their ill infants. Although health care providers and childbearing women drew upon different discursive resources and features of two program contexts, a similar construction of knowledge and experience was evident within participants’ accounts. Whereas health care providers tended to speak with the grain of instrumental and sentimental discourses through a veil of neutrality, the child-bearing women spoke against the grain by resisting the notion that interpersonal spaces are necessarily sites of one-on-one individual interaction. Rather, the data suggests that interpersonal spaces are not individualized spaces. Experiences of relationship were broadly situated and shaped through the relational complexity of each moment of the interpersonal, where the cultural ‘scenes’ of maternal-infant care shaped relationships and constructed the women’s health capacities and outcomes of care. In this way, the face to face is not so innocent.

Due to advances in detection and treatment, increasing numbers of women are diagnosed with, and surviving, breast cancer each year, making women with breast cancer one of the largest groups of cancer survivors. Hence, ensuring good healthrelated quality of life (HRQoL) following treatment has become a focal point of cancer research and clinical interest. While our understanding about the impact of breast cancer is improving, little is known about the HRQoL among survivors in non-urban areas. This is important locally, as 45% of breast cancer survivors in Queensland, Australia, live outside major metropolitan areas. Therefore, this study investigated the HRQoL and accompanying correlates among regional and rural breast cancer survivors, and made comparisons with urban breast cancer survivors as well as women from the general population without a history of breast cancer. Three population-based studies comprise this project. Original data were collected by way of self-administered questionnaire from 323 women, diagnosed with a first, primary, invasive, unilateral breast cancer during 2006/2007 and residing in regional or rural areas of Queensland, 12 months following diagnosis. HRQoL was assessed using the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy, Breast plus additional concerns (FACT-B+4) questionnaire. Data from two existing data sources were also utilised. Women diagnosed with a first, primary, invasive, unilateral breast cancer in 2002 and residing within 100kms of Brisbane provided information on HRQoL, measured by the FACT-B+4, via self-administered questionnaire at six (n=287), 12 (n=277) and 18 (n=272) months post-diagnosis. Data at 12 months post-diagnosis was utilised for comparison with region and rural women with breast cancer. General population data for HRQoL, collected by self-administered questionnaire in 2004 using the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-General (FACT-G) questionnaire, were derived from a subgroup of female residents without a history of breast cancer from urban (n=675), regional (n=184) and rural (n=281) Queensland. The two studies involving women with breast cancer were recruited sequentially through the Queensland Cancer Registry, whereas the study involving the general population used telephone survey methods initially to identify participants. Women who participated in all studies were aged between 30 and 74 years. Raw scores for overall HRQoL (FACT-B+4, FACT-G) and subscales were computed. According to developers of the instrument, raw score differences of eight points between groups on the FACT-B+4 scale and five points on the FACT-G scale reflect a clinically meaningful differences in HRQoL. Age-adjusted, mean HRQoL was similar between regional and rural women with breast cancer 12 months following diagnosis (e.g., FACT-B+4: 122.9 versus 123.7, respectively, p=0.74). However, younger regional and rural survivors reported lower HRQoL scores compared with their older counterparts (e.g., FACT-B+4: 112.0 and 115.8 versus 129.3 and 126.2, respectively, p<0.05 for all). In addition to age, other important correlates of lower overall HRQoL (FACT-B+4) among regional/rural breast cancer survivors included: receiving chemotherapy, reporting complications post-surgery, poorer upper-body function than most, higher amounts of stress, reduced coping, being socially isolated, not having a confidante for social-emotional support, unmet healthcare needs, and low self-efficacy. Multiple linear regression analysis was used to address the hypothesis regarding similarity of HRQoL following breast cancer among women residing in regional and rural locations. After adjusting for the above factors, there was no statistically significant or clinically important difference in overall HRQoL (FACT-B+4) between regional and rural women with breast cancer 12 months following diagnosis (122.1 versus 125.1, respectively, p=0.07). Data from regional and rural women were pooled, based on the above analyses, and compared with urban women. Multiple linear regression analysis was used to test the hypothesis that HRQoL following breast cancer among women residing in regional/rural locations would be lower than that reported by women residing in urban locations. Potential confounders of the association between overall HRQoL (FACT-B+4) and place of residence included: marital status, upper-body function, amount of stress and perceived handling of stress. After adjusting for factors that differed between urban and regional/rural survivors, overall HRQoL (FACT-B+4) was lower among younger regional/rural survivors than their urban peers, and the findings were both statistically significant and clinically important (115.3 versus 123.7, respectively, p=0.001). Older women reported similar mean HRQoL, regardless of regional/rural or urban residence (128.2 versus 131.6, respectively, p=0.03). Further multiple linear regression analyses were undertaken to investigate whether women with breast cancer would report HRQoL equivalent to that reported by similarly-aged women in the general population. After adjusting for potential confounding factors that are known or suspected risk factors for breast cancer (age, marital status, education level, private health insurance, smoking status, physical activity, body mass index, co-morbidities), overall HRQoL (FACT-G) among breast cancer survivors was comparable to the general population 12 months following diagnosis (urban: 88.0 versus 86.9, respectively, p=0.28; regional/rural: 86.2 versus 85.8, respectively, p=0.79). However, 26% of survivors experienced worse overall HRQoL (FACT-G) compared with normative levels. HRQoL subscales contributing most to this deficit were physical well-being, with 29% of breast cancer survivors reporting scores below the norm, and emotional well-being among younger women, with 46% reporting scores below the norm. Logistic regression analysis was used to identify subgroups of breast cancer survivors who reported HRQoL below normative levels; reporting poorer upper-body function than most and not handling stress well increased the odds of reporting overall HRQoL (FACT-G: odds ratios (ORs) = 4.44 and 4.24, respectively, p<0.01 for both), physical well-being (ORs = 5.93 and 2.92, respectively, p<0.01 for both) and emotional well-being (among younger women: ORs = 2.81 and 5.90, respectively, p<0.01 for both) below normative levels. The cross-sectional nature of the study design for regional and rural breast cancer survivors, and the potential selection and response biases in all three studies, represent the main limitations of this work. The cross-sectional design precludes causal inference about observed associations, but even characterising relevant correlates allows for adjustment of potential confounding and provides insight into factors that may be important in contributing to HRQoL among breast cancer survivors. Moreover, the potential impact of the latter limitations is in the conservative direction, whereby differences in HRQoL between groups will be more difficult to identify. Since these biases are expected to be present to a similar degree across all study groups, the absolute difference in HRQoL by residence and cancer status observed are likely to exist. In contrast, the work is supported by a population based, state-wide sample of breast cancer survivors, comparisons with the general population, and use of standardised instruments. Therefore, the conclusions derived from this research are likely to be generalisable to the wider population of women in Queensland with unilateral breast cancer, aged 74 years or younger, and perhaps to similar women in other western countries, depending on variations in healthcare systems and the provision of oncology services. This research supports the initial supposition that while some findings may generalise to all breast cancer survivors, non-urban breast cancer survivors also have distinct experiences that influence their HRQoL. Results from this work highlight the HRQoL domains and characteristics of breast cancer survivors most in need of assistance to facilitate recovery following diagnosis and treatment. Characteristics include some already established and reconfirmed here, namely, emotional wellbeing among younger women, and other novel subgroups, including regional/rural survivors who receive chemotherapy or have a low self-efficacy and all survivors, regardless of residence, with upper-body problems or a low perception of handling stress. These results demonstrate the potential for identifying subgroups of women with breast cancer at risk for low HRQoL who may benefit from additional attention and possible tailored recovery interventions to increase their overall HRQoL. As such, researchers and clinicians need to consider the role of these factors when designing interventions to assist women as they deal with the challenges imposed upon them by their breast cancer. However, it was found here that the FACT-G instrument has ceiling effects. This means that positive changes reflecting improved status, such as those achieved through recovery interventions, will often fail to be measured appropriately if there is no room to indicate improvements. Overall HRQoL results indicated that there is room for improvement past 12 months following treatment, with a significant proportion of breast cancer survivors reporting HRQoL below normative levels. HRQoL concerns 12 months following diagnosis are likely to be distinct from the more acute issues reported earlier on in the literature. Therefore, the development of a cancer survivorship module to accompany the FACT-G would be useful to counteract the ceiling effects observed as well as to capture issues distinct to cancer survivorship. This is the first study to describe in detail the HRQoL of breast cancer survivors across all areas of Queensland and to compare it to the HRQoL reported by the general population of Queensland. Therefore, it represents a unique and substantial contribution to the existing knowledge on survivorship issues following diagnosis and treatment for breast cancer in Australia. Through this research, a number of questions remain that could be addressed by relevant investigations and which are likely to be important in the future to ultimately guide practice. Specifically, implementation of the concept of HRQoL in practice is the next important step forward. Furthermore, the development of a survivorship care plan that incorporates guidelines on HRQoL recovery could provide options for referral and support.

Nesta dissertação procura-se analisar o contexto histórico da aprovação das políticas públicas destinadas à atenção integral da saúde da mulher (PAISM-PNAISM) e o papel dos diferentes atores sociais e políticos que tiveram um papel decisivo em sua história. A mobilização desses atores possibilitou a elaboração do PAISM, considerada a primeira política de atenção à saúde da mulher. A nova política evoluiu para o Plano Nacional, criando novos direitos, incluindo a questão do climatério/menopausa que será analisado nessa dissertação. / In this thesis seeks to analyze the historical context of the adoption of public policies for the comprehensive care of women's health (PAISM - PNAISM) and the role of different social and political actors who played a decisive role in its history. The mobilization of these actors led to the drafting of PAISM, considered the first policy attention to women's health. The new policy evolved into the National Plan, by creating new rights, including the issue of menopause / menopause, which will be analyzed in this dissertation.

Made available in DSpace on 2018-06-06T11:36:17Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2014 / O Programa de Atenção Integral à Saúde da Mulher (PAISM) busca a diminuição e resolução dos agravos nos ciclos de vida da mulher. O enfermeiro atua na assistência primária de saúde desenvolvendo ações educativas, de diagnóstico, tratamento e recuperação voltados a assistência da mulher. O objetivo deste trabalho é analisar a formação e atuação do enfermeiro no Programa de Assistência Integral à Saúde da Mulher na Atenção Básica em Saúde. A metodologia utilizada foi exploratório-descritiva com enfoque qualitativo e os dados obtidos por meio de entrevista semi-estruturada com 25 enfermeiros do Distrito Sanitário de Saúde Sul na cidade de Manaus-Amazonas. Foi realizada uma análise de conteúdo do tipo temático categorial. Estes enfermeiros atuam na profissão em torno de 12-16 anos; a maioria com tempo de formação entre 13-17 anos. Como ações oferecidas pelas Unidades Básicas de Saúde (UBS), destacam-se as voltadas para o ciclo grávido puerperal e para a prevenção de câncer. Sobre a Política de Saúde da Mulher observou-se que consideram como parte integrante da Atenção à Saúde em geral, tendo a mulher o direito comum do uso da assistência à saúde; destacam como Importância da UBS na Saúde da Mulher as ações voltadas ao rastreio, orientações, exames, vacinas e prevenção das doenças, bem como ações curativas. Sobre a Importância do Enfermeiro nesta assistência, destacam o seu papel como orientador e direcionador das demandas, bem como sua contribuição nas ações de prevenção. Quanto a Contribuição da Graduação para o Atendimento na Saúde da Mulher: 22,8% enfatizam a aprendizagem da normatização das ações; 21,7% a saúde reprodutiva e 21,6% destacam lacunas existentes para o desenvolvimento das práticas profissionais. Como sugestões para melhoria no Atendimento à Mulher, 18,2% dos enfermeiros compreendem as ações e direitos da mulher, a necessidade de aperfeiçoar as atividades em torno dos ciclos de vida da mulher e do atendimento humanizado, aprimoramento das técnicas aplicadas nas ações e assistência à mulher em todas as fases de sua vida. Para 25% dos entrevistados as questões de aprimoramento e mudança, começam pela matriz curricular, e referem que a educação permanente e educação continuada em saúde são também necessárias para a melhoria no atendimento. / The Integral Care Program for Women’s Health (PAISM) aims to diminish and treat injuries in women‘s life cycle. Nurses work in health primary assistance performing educative actions, diagnostic, treatment and recovery focused on assistance for women. The objective of this work is to analyze the nurse training for work in the integral care program for women’s health in Basics Health Care. The methodology used was explanatory-descriptive with a qualitative approach, and data gathering by mean of semi structured interviews with 25 nurses from the Health District South in Manaus city, Amazonas. The content analysis was according categorized topics. These nurses have been working about 12-16 year on this profession; most of them graduated between 13-17 years ago. As shares offered in Basic Health Units (UBS), are focused on pregnancy-puerperal cycle and cancer prevention. About women’s health Policy we observed that it’s considered in General Health Care, where women has the common rights guaranteed; emphasize the importance of UBS in women’s health with shares dedicated to track, monitoring, orientations, examinations, vaccination, diseases prevention, and treatment as well. About the importance of nurses on this assistance, we noticed their roles as advisors, guides and facilitators in needs, and contributions in prevention actions. Concerning their training in college for treating women’s health: 22,8% highlights the learning of standardization of shares; 21,7% reproductive health, and 21,6% highlight the lacks in performance of professional practice. As a suggestion for improving women assistance, 18,2% of nurses understand the shares and rights of women, the need to improve shares about women’s life cycle and humanized care, improving techniques used in shares and assistance for women in every phase of their life. And for 25% of interviewed, in questions of improving and changing starts at curricular plan of the training course, consolidating the permanent and continuous education as a reference for improve the assistance.

Made available in DSpace on 2014-07-22T13:14:47Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 2 Eliane Santos da Luz.pdf: 3059851 bytes, checksum: 1e90433619d6e3614fe1488542c6bdad (MD5) license.txt: 1914 bytes, checksum: 7d48279ffeed55da8dfe2f8e81f3b81f (MD5) Previous issue date: 2011 / Fundação Oswaldo Cruz. Instituto Fernandes Figueira. Departamento de Ensino. Programa de Pós-Graduação em Saúde da Criança e da Mulher. Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil. / Trata-se de um estudo seccional, cujo objetivo foi estudar o estresse ocupacional entre mulheres policiais militares da cidade do Rio de Janeiro. Foi feita uma amostra representativa, por conglomerados, de 238 policiais alocadas em qualquer unidade policial da cidade. Foi aplicado um questionário com 78 questões fechadas, divididas em três blocos: condições de trabalho, condições de saúde e consumo de substâncias. No segundo bloco está inserida a versão reduzida da Job Stress Scale, contendo 17 questões sobre demanda, controle e apoio social no trabalho. Dentre as policiais, 28,6% apresentam alto desgaste. As policiais não oficiais são as mais estressadas, pois apresentam a maior proporção de estresse ocupacional, 32,9%. Alguns problemas do aparelho digestivo, como gastrite crônica, diverticulite crônica e colite crônica, estão entre as doenças que apresentaram associação com o estresse ocupacional. Também foram encontradas associações entre estresse ocupacional e condições de trabalho, como descontos salariais, satisfação com as horas trabalhadas e ajuda nos serviços domésticos. / This is a cross-sectional study, whose objective was to study occupational stress among women police in the city of Rio de Janeiro. A representative sample was made by clusters of 238 policemen assigned to any unit of city police. We administered a questionnaire with 78 closed questions divided into three sections: job conditions, health conditions and substance use. In the second block is inserted the reduced version of Job Stress Scale, containing 17 questions about demand, control and social support at work. Among the police, 28.6% showed high wear. The police not graduate are more stressed, since they have the largest proportion of occupational stress, 32.9%. Some digestive problems, chronic gastritis, diverticulitis and chronic colitis, chronic diseases are among the association presented as occupational stress. They also found associations between job stress and job conditions, such as wages lost, satisfaction with hours worked and help with household chores.

Nesta dissertação procura-se analisar o contexto histórico da aprovação das políticas públicas destinadas à atenção integral da saúde da mulher (PAISM-PNAISM) e o papel dos diferentes atores sociais e políticos que tiveram um papel decisivo em sua história. A mobilização desses atores possibilitou a elaboração do PAISM, considerada a primeira política de atenção à saúde da mulher. A nova política evoluiu para o Plano Nacional, criando novos direitos, incluindo a questão do climatério/menopausa que será analisado nessa dissertação. / In this thesis seeks to analyze the historical context of the adoption of public policies for the comprehensive care of women's health (PAISM - PNAISM) and the role of different social and political actors who played a decisive role in its history. The mobilization of these actors led to the drafting of PAISM, considered the first policy attention to women's health. The new policy evolved into the National Plan, by creating new rights, including the issue of menopause / menopause, which will be analyzed in this dissertation.

Nesta dissertação procura-se analisar o contexto histórico da aprovação das políticas públicas destinadas à atenção integral da saúde da mulher (PAISM-PNAISM) e o papel dos diferentes atores sociais e políticos que tiveram um papel decisivo em sua história. A mobilização desses atores possibilitou a elaboração do PAISM, considerada a primeira política de atenção à saúde da mulher. A nova política evoluiu para o Plano Nacional, criando novos direitos, incluindo a questão do climatério/menopausa que será analisado nessa dissertação. / In this thesis seeks to analyze the historical context of the adoption of public policies for the comprehensive care of women's health (PAISM - PNAISM) and the role of different social and political actors who played a decisive role in its history. The mobilization of these actors led to the drafting of PAISM, considered the first policy attention to women's health. The new policy evolved into the National Plan, by creating new rights, including the issue of menopause / menopause, which will be analyzed in this dissertation.

Submitted by Divisão de Documentação/BC Biblioteca Central (ddbc@ufam.edu.br) on 2018-05-29T13:57:16Z No. of bitstreams: 2 license_rdf: 0 bytes, checksum: d41d8cd98f00b204e9800998ecf8427e (MD5) Dissertação_Nádia Sobral.pdf: 885285 bytes, checksum: 1715f9b85d2cec36d34344e6cb9fb06d (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Divisão de Documentação/BC Biblioteca Central (ddbc@ufam.edu.br) on 2018-05-29T13:57:35Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 2 license_rdf: 0 bytes, checksum: d41d8cd98f00b204e9800998ecf8427e (MD5) Dissertação_Nádia Sobral.pdf: 885285 bytes, checksum: 1715f9b85d2cec36d34344e6cb9fb06d (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2018-05-29T13:57:35Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 2 license_rdf: 0 bytes, checksum: d41d8cd98f00b204e9800998ecf8427e (MD5) Dissertação_Nádia Sobral.pdf: 885285 bytes, checksum: 1715f9b85d2cec36d34344e6cb9fb06d (MD5) Previous issue date: 2018-02-26 / Acquired syphilis is an infectious-contagious sexually transmitted disease produced by Treponema pallidum. In the field of public health, it is a serious problem. Women have greater vulnerabilities related to the acquisition of Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs), a situation implied by gender and social and cultural issues. In this study, the theory of social representations made it possible to interpret women's understanding of the health-disease process of syphilis by revealing their beliefs, concepts and judgments. Objective: To analyze the social representations of women of childbearing age on the health-disease process of acquired syphilis. Method: Exploratory, descriptive, qualitative approach, conducted by the Social Representations Theory. The study was conducted at the Alfredo da Mata Foundation, an institution linked to the State Health Secretariat of the State of Amazonas. The data collection period was from December 2017 to January 2018. The sample consisted of 10 women diagnosed and followed up by professionals from a reference center for assistance to people with STIs in the city of Manaus. The data collection was performed through the semi structured interview technique. The analysis of the material was done through the technique of content analysis. The ethical requirements for human research were met by this study. Results: Four categories emerged from social representations: the meaning of syphilis, the feeling of discovery, the medium of transmission and being with syphilis. Conclusion: It is concluded that syphilis is meant for women of childbearing age as a sexually transmitted, contagious disease, which causes physical and mental discomfort, which may go unnoticed or be related to divine punishment. / A sífilis adquirida é doença infectocontagiosa de transmissão sexual produzida pelo Treponema pallidum. No campo da saúde pública é um grave problema. As mulheres apresentam maiores vulnerabilidades relacionadas à aquisição de Infecções Sexualmente Transmissíveis (IST), situação implicada pela questão de gênero e por questões sociais e culturais. Neste estudo, o referencial da teoria das representações sociais tornou possível interpretar a compreensão de mulheres sobre o processo saúde-doença da sífilis desvelando suas crenças, conceitos e julgamentos. Objetivo: Analisar as representações sociais de mulheres em idade fértil sobre o processo saúde-doença da sífilis adquirida. Método: Pesquisa exploratória, descritiva, de abordagem qualitativa, conduzida pelo referencial da Teoria das Representações Sociais. O estudo foi realizado na Fundação Alfredo da Mata, instituição vinculada à Secretaria de Estado de Saúde do Estado do Amazonas. O período de coleta de dados foi de dezembro 2017 a janeiro de 2018. A amostra foi composta por 10 mulheres diagnosticadas e acompanhadas por profissionais de um centro de referência de assistência a pessoas com IST na cidade de Manaus. A coleta de dados ocorreu por meio da técnica de entrevista semiestruturada. A análise do material se realizou por meio da técnica da análise de conteúdo. As exigências éticas para pesquisas em seres humanos foram atendidas por esse estudo. Resultados: Quatro categorias emergiram das representações sociais: o significado da sífilis, o sentimento da descoberta, o meio de transmissão e o estar com sífilis. Conclusão: Conclui-se que sífilis significa para as mulheres em idade fértil uma doença sexualmente transmissível, contagiosa, causadora de incômodos físicos e mentais, podendo passar despercebida pelo desconhecimento ou estar relacionada a castigo divino.

Background: After pregnancy and childbirth the female body goes through changes in both body and mind. Inadequate research has been done in the field of physical activity and exercise in postpartum women. Swedish counties has not formed a cohesive plan of antenatal care which creates variations throughout the country. Purpose: The aim for this study was to investigate how women are being informed about physical activity and exercise postpartum by Swedish healthcare. Method: To complete this study a survey was made and via a snowball sampling distributed throughout social media. Participants; 1023 women whom represented each county of Sweden. Inclusion criteria; to have given birth in Sweden the last 5 years and understand the Swedish language. Results: Women get limited oral and written information about physical activity and exercise. The information is mainly distributed by a midwife and women rarely get to meet a physiotherapist postpartum. Half of the women that did meet with a physiotherapist used the information but was in general not satisfied with its content. Conclusion: Postpartum activity and exercise is an individual process that should be exerted in consultation with a physiotherapist and the field of physiotherapy should be utilized to a greater extent in Swedish antenatal care.

Research indicates that increased knowledge about the menopause transition positively impacts a woman’s attitude about this stage in her life, and a more positive attitude leads to less distress during the transition. However, there has been no research regarding how women gain this knowledge about menopause, what factors in her environment may hinder or assist her, or how women’s knowledge of menopause is leveraged by health care providers to help facilitate her menopause transition. The purpose of this research was to explore the self-directed learning actions of women regarding their search for information about menopause, and to understand what factors, if any, may have helped or hindered her search. A convenience sample of women 35-55 years of age was invited to participate in an online survey; a total of 227 usable responses were collected. Answers were analyzed by utilizing a simple frequency distribution to illustrate more and less common responses. Chi-square tests of independence were used to examine bivariate relationships, and content analysis was used to examine free response answers. The results of this study indicated that most women did not seek information about menopause on their own. Women who sought information were primarily motivated by symptoms: what to expect, symptom relief, or validation that their experiences were normal. This study also indicated that the most utilized resource for finding information was the Internet. It also found that women need more information from the health care community than they were receiving. Findings from this study suggest a need to continue to connect adult education with health promotion. Additionally, women had a need for greater interpersonal support and beneficial interactions with the health care community. Finally, this study demonstrated that women may benefit from the normalization of menopause as a social construct. Perhaps this could best be achieved through education within larger conversations about human reproduction and about natural aging.