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Impact of Menopause Support Groups on Menopause Self-Care Knowledge among Middle-Aged Women in Nigeria

Abstract

Menopause is a natural stage of the female life course that may be accompanied by physical, psychological, and social changes that affect women's wellbeing and quality of life. Middle-aged women may experience symptoms such as hot flushes, night sweats, sleep disturbances, mood changes, fatigue, vaginal and urinary symptoms, and changes in body composition. Adequate knowledge of menopause self-care can help women understand appropriate strategies for managing menopausal changes, maintaining healthy lifestyles, recognizing symptoms that require professional assessment, and seeking appropriate healthcare. However, menopause self-care knowledge among middle-aged women in Nigeria may be limited by inadequate health education, cultural beliefs, misconceptions, stigma, limited access to reliable menopause information, and insufficient opportunities for women to share experiences and obtain professional guidance. Menopause support groups provide a potentially accessible platform for peer interaction, health education, emotional support, experience sharing, and guidance from healthcare professionals. Against this background, this study investigates the impact of menopause support groups on menopause self-care knowledge among middle-aged women in Nigeria. The study will be anchored on Social Cognitive Theory, the Health Belief Model, and the Social Ecological Model. Social Cognitive Theory explains how observational learning, peer interaction, self-efficacy, social support, reinforcement, and environmental influences may contribute to the acquisition of menopause self-care knowledge. The Health Belief Model explains how women's perceptions of menopause-related health risks, perceived benefits of self-care, perceived barriers, and cues to action may influence their engagement with support groups and acquisition of health information. The Social Ecological Model emphasizes the influence of individual, interpersonal, organizational, community, and broader societal factors on women's access to menopause information and support. Collectively, these theoretical perspectives provide a suitable framework for explaining how menopause support groups may influence menopause self-care knowledge among middle-aged women in Nigeria. The study will adopt a quantitative analytical cross-sectional or quasi-experimental research design. The study population will comprise middle-aged women, particularly women approaching or experiencing menopause, participating in or eligible for menopause support groups within selected hospitals, primary healthcare centres, women's health clinics, community organizations, workplaces, and other relevant settings across Nigeria. A multistage sampling technique will be used to select states, local government areas, communities, healthcare facilities, organizations, support groups, and eligible women. Menopause support groups will be assessed using indicators such as group availability, frequency of meetings, duration of participation, number of sessions attended, peer interaction, health education activities, healthcare-provider involvement, counselling, information-sharing activities, group discussions, educational materials, and follow-up support. Menopause self-care knowledge will be assessed using indicators such as knowledge of appropriate nutrition, physical activity, sleep management, stress management, symptom monitoring, bone-health practices, cardiovascular-health practices, personal and sexual health, avoidance of harmful lifestyle behaviours, appropriate healthcare-seeking, and recognition of symptoms requiring professional evaluation. Data will be collected using structured questionnaires, menopause self-care knowledge assessment tools, support-group attendance records, health education records, and relevant women's health programme documents. Descriptive statistics will be used to summarize participants' characteristics, participation in menopause support groups, and levels of self-care knowledge. Inferential statistical techniques, including chi-square tests, t-tests, correlation analysis, and logistic or multiple regression analysis where appropriate, will be used to determine the impact of menopause support groups on menopause self-care knowledge. Where a quasi-experimental design is adopted, self-care knowledge scores before and after participation in structured support groups may be compared, while relevant age, educational, socioeconomic, cultural, health, and healthcare-access factors are appropriately controlled. Diagnostic tests will also be conducted to assess the reliability, validity, and robustness of the findings. The study is expected to find that participation in menopause support groups has a significant positive impact on menopause self-care knowledge among middle-aged women in Nigeria. Women who participate regularly in structured menopause support groups are expected to demonstrate higher levels of self-care knowledge than women with limited or no access to such groups. Peer discussions and experience sharing may improve understanding of common menopausal changes and practical approaches to managing symptoms. Health education provided within support groups may also improve knowledge of nutrition, physical activity, sleep, stress management, bone health, cardiovascular health, and appropriate healthcare-seeking. Interaction with trained healthcare professionals may help correct misconceptions and ensure that information shared within groups is accurate and evidence-based. However, limited availability of support groups, irregular attendance, stigma surrounding menopause, cultural beliefs, misinformation, low health literacy, geographical barriers, and inadequate healthcare-provider involvement may reduce their effectiveness. The study therefore expects accessible, well-organized, culturally appropriate, and professionally supported menopause support groups to contribute significantly to improved menopause self-care knowledge among middle-aged women in Nigeria. The study is expected to contribute to the literature on menopause support groups, menopause self-care knowledge, menopausal health, women's health, peer support, health education, healthy ageing, lifestyle management, and public health in Nigeria. The findings will provide useful information to the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, National Primary Health Care Development Agency, state ministries of health, hospitals, primary healthcare centres, women's health clinics, community organizations, healthcare providers, community health workers, menopause programmes, development partners, and policymakers regarding strategies for strengthening support for women during the menopausal transition. The study will also provide evidence-based recommendations for establishing and expanding menopause support groups, integrating professional health education into group activities, training healthcare workers and peer facilitators, developing culturally appropriate self-care education materials, strengthening referral systems, and improving access to reliable menopause information for middle-aged women across Nigeria.

Keywords: Menopause support groups, menopause self-care knowledge, middle-aged women, menopausal health, peer support, menopause education, women's health, healthy ageing, self-care, Nigeria, public health.