[A correlative study of the uncertainty in the climacteric women]

The purpose of this study was to explore the relationship between climacteric symptoms, knowledge, and uncertainty in climacteric women. A cross-sectional correlational research design was used. Data were collected by face-to-face interview. The Greene Climacteric Scale, Health Knowledge about Menopause Scale, and Perceived Uncertainty Scale were used to assess data. A convenience sampling approach was used to enlist 70 female subjects who were mothers of students in a nursing college located in southern Taiwan and were in perimenopause or post-menopause. The results of the study indicated that levels of uncertainty on the part of the subjects toward the climacteric state were moderate. Subjects in the perimenopause period had significantly higher levels of uncertainty about the climacteric state than those in the post-menopause period. The levels of uncertainty were significantly negatively correlated with socio-economic status. The frequency and disturbance levels of climacteric symptoms among subjects were between "not at all" and "a little". The levels of uncertainty were significantly positively correlated with frequency of and disturbance caused by the symptoms. The score on the knowledge about menopause was below average and was significantly negatively correlated with uncertainty. The degree of disturbance caused by the symptoms, menopause status, and knowledge explain 34% of the variance in uncertainty. The findings of the study support the view that climacteric women who had fewer symptoms and more knowledge had lower levels of uncertainty. Nurses can develop interventions to reduce uncertainty in climacteric women.