KNOWLEDGE AND SELF-CARE PRACTICES ON MENOPAUSE AND ASSOCIATED FACTORS AMONG POST MENOPAUSAL MOTHERS IN ARBAMINCH TOWN, SOUTHERN ETHIOPIA

Abstract

ABSTRACT Background: Women experience different symptoms at menopause as a result of the absence of ovarian activity. Decreased knowledge and low self-care practice of women hinders the need for possible solutions, obligates women to live with symptoms that interfere with their health life and daily activity and even exposes them to unnecessary expenditures for minor problems that can easily be managed at home by self-care techniques. It is crucial to have the insight of the knowledge and self-care practices on menopause and factors among menopausal women and plan respective interventions for insuring the health and wellbeing of these women. Objective: This study was aimed to assess the knowledge and self-care practices on menopause and associated factors among post-menopausal women in Arba Minch town Gamo zone, Southern Ethiopia, 2021 Method: Community based cross sectional study was conducted among 404 post-menopausal mothers in Arba Minch town from May- June 2021. Simple random sampling was used to obtain the required sample size. The Data was collected by using structured, pre-tested, and interviewer-administered questionnaires. Epi data version 3.1 was used to enter data and then exported to Statistical Package for Social Science version 25 for analysis. Binary Logistic regression model was used to select candidate variables and only variables with p-value <0.25 in bivariate logistic regression analysis was checked for association in a multivariable logistic regression model and variables with p-value <0.05 was considered as statistically significant. Result: The overall knowledge and self-care practice of menopausal mothers were 24.8% and 38.4% respectively. Educational status of college and above (AOR=4.23; 95%CI=1.74, 10.24), being government employee (AOR=5.56; 95%CI=2.31, 13.4) and history of contraceptive use (AOR=2.83; 95%CI=1.15, 6.94) were independent factors of knowledge status. Factors associated with self-care practices were educational status of college and above (AOR=2.80; 95%CI 1.37, 5.70), age range between 45-49 years (AOR=2.22; 95%CI 1.03, 4.76), being private employee (AOR=3.37; 95%CI 1.64, 6.92) history of contraceptive use (AOR=5.84; 95%CI 2.36, 14.46) and knowledge on menopause (AOR=6.76; 95%CI 3.66, 12.50). Conclusion and recommendation: The knowledge and self-care practices on menopause among post-menopausal mothers were low. Educational status, occupation and use of contraceptive were significantly associated with knowledge on menopause while, educational status, age, occupation, history of contraceptive use and knowledge on menopause were statistically associated with level of self-care practices. Empowering women on education