The effect of a symptom management program developed based on story theory on vasomotor symptoms and sleep quality in...

This study examined the effect of a symptom management program developed based on story theory on vasomotor symptoms and sleep quality in postmenopausal women.

The research was conducted as a mixed methods study using an interventional design, one of the advanced mixed methods designs. The study population consisted of postmenopausal women who presented to 5 family health centers. A total of 76 women were enrolled, with 38 in the experimental group and 38 in the control group. The symptom management program developed based on story theory was applied individually to women in the experimental group. A personal information form, the Menopause Symptoms Assessment Scale, the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, and a story theory-based semistructured interview form were employed as data collection tools. The independent 2-sample t test, Mann-Whitney U test, generalized linear model, Tukey test, and Robust ANOVA test were used for the analysis of quantitative data, while content analysis was applied to qualitative data.

The Menopause Symptoms Assessment Scale total and subdimension scores and the total Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index score were lower in the experimental group than in the control group at the end of the program. Six themes were identified in the study: thoughts about menopause, symptoms experienced during menopause, perception of femininity in menopause, the effect of menopause on daily life, coping with menopause, and expectations in menopause.

The program reduced vasomotor symptoms and improved sleep quality among the postmenopausal women in the experimental group.