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Qualitative
Women kept up appearances and developed multiple coping strategies to deal with menopause

https://doi.org/10.1136/ebn.2.2.62

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    Kittell LA, Kernoff Mansfield P, Voda AM.Keeping up appearances: the basic social process of the menopausal transition.Qual Health Res1998 Sep;8:618–33OpenUrlCrossRefWeb of Science

    Question What are women's experiences of the menopausal transition and how do they interpret and respond to the changes they experience?

    Design

    Grounded theory.

    Setting

    USA.

    Patients

    61 women who were experiencing menopausal transition (menstrual bleeding changes, hot flashes, and change in feelings and emotions). Age range was 41–54 years and most were white, middle class, college educated, and employed outside the home.

    Methods

    Women were interviewed by telephone (23–110 min each with most lasting 40–45 min) and asked to describe changes they were experiencing, how they felt about the changes, and ways in which the changes affected their lives. Changes could be related to bleeding, hot flashes, feelings and emotions, sleep, appearance, energy level, weight, appetite, digestion, sexual feelings, etc. Data were analysed, processes were identified, and a theory was developed.

    Main findings

    The basic core variable (social process) was described as …

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    Footnotes

    • Source of funding: no external funding.

    • For correspondence: Dr L A Kittell, 137 Laurel Run, Portage, PA 15946, USA. Email ajlak{at}csrlink.net.