Abstract:

Menopause is a biological event characterized by a complexity of factors. On average one, third of the women’s life consists of the post-menopause years, and health care programs for women do not address concerns beyond reproductive ages. The purpose of this study was to investigate into the knowledge and practices of women towards menopause in choma district. A descriptive cross-sectional research design was used to collect data from a sample of 50 women from two clinics. The researcher used a questionnaire that included both structured and open-ended questions. The findings indicated that 14(28%) of the respondents had adequate knowledge, while 36(72%) had inadequate knowledge towards menopause. 24(48%) of the respondents had good practices with adequate knowledge on menopause which was statistically significant (P<0.000). In this study, 37(74%) of the respondents who had bad practices had bad health-seeking behaviour. A high proportion of women are affected by menopause related symptoms. Care seeking for all symptoms is not uniform, indicative of a lack of knowledge about the treatable nature of many of these symptoms. There is a need to continue giving health education to women 45 years and above on the signs and symptoms, treatment needed, and where and when to seek health services so as to impart knowledge on menopause.

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