Vol. 6, Issue 1, Part A (2024)

Background: Menopause is an important transition in women’s lives, but knowledge, and attitudes associated with this natural biological process vary widely amongst different populations, and cultural background. Objective: To assess knowledge and attitudes towards menopause among women in Al-Diwaniyah, Iraq, and to determine those factors, which are associated with knowledge of the menopause. Methods: A cross-sectional study of 285 women aged 35-65 years attending a private gynecological service in Al-Diwaniyah between January and December 2023 was undertaken. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire assessing sociodemographic data, knowledge of the menopause, and attitudes to the menopausal transition. Knowledge was scored, and the results allocated into three categories, poor, moderate or good knowledge based on correct answers given. Results: Women’s mean age was 47.3±7.2 years. Overall, 38.6% of women exhibited good knowledge of menopause, 43.5% had modern knowledge, while 17.9% had poor knowledge. High levels of education, and prior exposure to health education were significantly associated with higher levels of knowledge (p<0.001). In regard to attitude, 52.3% of women had a negative attitude to menopause, mainly associated with old age and loss of femininity. Only 31.2% of participants had discussed menopause with health practitioners before experiencing symptoms. Conclusion: Knowledge of menopause was suboptimal in Al-Diwaniyah amongst these women with mainly negative attitudes to the transition in life. There is an urgent need for appropriate health education designed to improve knowledge and attitude to menopause.