Menopausal Symptoms: Use of Cam and Conventional Treatments

The aim of this study was to examine the effectiveness of a model of womenâ¿¿s decision-making regarding menopausal symptoms. The publication of results from the Womenâ¿¿s Health Initiative (WHI) and the rising popularity of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) make this an interesting time to examine womenâ¿¿s increasingly complex decision-making process. Existing models of health behavior suggest factors that may be considered in womenâ¿¿s decisions regarding management of menopausal symptoms. The current project used survey methodology to test the effectiveness of a proposed model of menopausal symptom decision-making in two groups of women: (a) women who recently had a hysterectomy with bilateral oophorectomy and (b) community women who experienced natural menopause. Symptom severity, common sense beliefs, and social influence were all found to play a significant role in womenâ¿¿s decision-making process. These preliminary findings represent empirical and conceptual progress in the understanding of these decisions, and lay the groundwork for future research in the realm of menopausal decision-making.