Effect of Health Model-Based Menopausal Self-Care Training on Quality of Life and Health: A Randomised Controlled...

Menopause is a natural biological transition in a woman's life, often accompanied by various physical and emotional challenges. Enhancing postmenopausal women's health and quality of life requires empowerment, particularly through self-care strategies. The present study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of a training programme based on Longwe's Empowerment Framework and a Community-Based Participatory Research approach.

A randomised controlled trial was conducted involving 140 postmenopausal Iranian women, with 70 women in each control and intervention group. The intervention group received a 6-week training programme, with weekly 120-min sessions, designed using Longwe's framework in combination with the PRECEDE-PROCEED model. Data were collected at three time points: baseline, 2 weeks post-intervention and 4 months post-intervention, using validated questionnaires. Statistical analyses were performed using SPSS version 27, with significance set at p < 0.05.

The training intervention significantly improved participants' quality of life (η² = 0.23, p < 0.001) and overall health (η² = 0.12, p < 0.001), with large and moderate effect sizes, respectively. Notably, the programme had a large effect on menopausal self-care behaviours (η² = 0.42, p < 0.001) and a small but significant effect on internal health locus of control (η² = 0.05, p < 0.001).

This study demonstrates that a structured self-care training programme, based on empowerment theory and community engagement, can effectively enhance the health outcomes and quality of life of postmenopausal women. The findings indicate that integrating participatory and empowerment-based educational interventions into public health initiatives for midlife women is advantageous.

This study employed a community-based participatory research approach, actively engaging postmenopausal women as collaborators throughout the intervention process. Participants were involved in the initial needs assessment, where they shared their self-care priorities and preferences. They also provided input on the structure, scheduling, and delivery format of the educational sessions. Furthermore, they collaborated to develop and participate in weekly group activities that promoted self-care behaviours. Ongoing feedback from participants was incorporated into refining of the intervention, improving its cultural relevance, feasibility and alignment with the lived experiences of the target population.