The unmet needs of menopausal women in primary care.

Br J Gen Pract

Chapel Street Surgery, Billericay and Rigg Milner Medical Practice, Corringham.

Published: June 2024

Background: The average age for menopause is 51 years, this is preceded by a transitional perimenopausal stage, with vasomotor symptoms, muscular and joint pain, lowered libido and disordered sleep, impacting on mental health. In some women, the quality of life is considerably affected. This remains under-reported. There is no national screening service, or specialised clinics for menopausal services available in primary care.

Aim: We undertook a survey of women in primary care as part of a needs assessment to understand the prevalence of peri- and menopausal symptoms, women's knowledge of these symptoms, and available treatment options.

Method: A questionnaire was sent to women aged 45-65 years registered with the practice.

Results: Of a total of 73 women, 78.1% complained of >4 symptoms. The most common symptoms were memory problems and brain fog (80.6%), sleep disturbance (72.1%) and muscle/joint pain (72.1%). Women were asked to rate their knowledge of therapy options on a self-reported scale of 0-10; a high proportion (64.3%) rated <4 points. They had better knowledge of symptoms, 79.3% rated >4 points. A high proportion (58.9%) rated inadequate support received from primary care and 75.3% felt they had no support at all.

Conclusion: Our results of this preliminary study showed the vast majority of women were unaware of treatment options for their menopausal symptoms and felt they received inadequate to no support from primary care providers. The present ongoing study highlights lack of resource allocation to women's health and insufficient commissioning of services to address this health need.

Download full-text PDF

Source
http://dx.doi.org/10.3399/bjgp24X737949DOI Listing

Publication Analysis

Top Keywords

primary care
16
women primary
8
menopausal symptoms
8
high proportion
8
inadequate support
8
women
7
symptoms
6
primary
5
unmet menopausal
4
menopausal women
4

Similar Publications

Background: Adenoid cystic carcinoma of the breast is a rare subtype, constituting less than 3.5% of primary breast carcinomas. Despite being categorized as a type of triple-negative breast cancer, it generally has a favorable prognosis.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: Given the increasing recognition of the value of greater integration of physical and mental health services for children and young people, we aimed to evaluate preferences among parents for the characteristics associated with integrated health service provision for two conditions (eating disorders, functional symptom disorders).

Methods: Two discrete choice experiments (DCEs) were conducted, using electronic surveys. Participants were adult parents of children and young people.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: Postoperative delirium (POD) is the most common neurological adverse event among elderly patients undergoing surgery. POD is associated with an increased risk for postoperative complications, long-term cognitive decline, an increase in morbidity and mortality as well as extended hospital stays. Delirium prevention and treatment options are currently limited.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: Smoking rates in the UK have declined steadily over the past decades, masking considerable inequalities, as little change has been observed among people with a mental health condition. This trial sought to assess the feasibility and acceptability of supplying an electronic cigarette (e-cigarette) starter kit for smoking cessation as an adjunct to usual care for smoking cessation, to smokers with a mental health condition treated in the community, to inform a future effectiveness trial.

Methods: This randomised controlled feasibility trial, conducted March-December 2022, compared the intervention (e-cigarette starter kit with a corresponding information leaflet and demonstration with Very Brief Advice) with a 'usual care' control at 1-month follow-up.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: Maintenance of oral health, prevention, and health promotion stand as primary competencies for dental graduates. Consequently, it is necessary to promote such an approach in dental schools, which are traditionally focused on treatment, to improve the attitude and practice of students in the field of prevention, the final result of which is the reduction of oral and dental diseases in patients. The study aimed to design Integrated Oral Health Care Pathways (IOHCPs) for adults and children referred to Tehran University of Medical Sciences (TUMS), School of Dentistry.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Want AI Summaries of new PubMed Abstracts delivered to your In-box?

Enter search terms and have AI summaries delivered each week - change queries or unsubscribe any time!