The Benefits of Planned Education for Women with Hearing Impairments on the Symptoms in the Climacteric Period

INTRODUCTION: The climacteric period is a stage that includes premenopausal, menopausal, and postmenopausal periods and in which women experience emotional, physical, intellectual, social, and sexual changes. It is stated that women with hearing impairments have insufficient knowledge about the climacteric period. The aim of the study was to investigate the effects of planned education for women with hearing impairments on the symptoms in the climacteric period.
METHODS: Data were collected from 106 hearing-impaired women by using the women’s descriptive characteristics questionnaire and the Menopause Rating Scale. After the data collection phase, the planned education was given to women by using Turkish sign language. Three months after the education phase, climacteric symptoms were reevaluated with the Menopause Rating Scale.
RESULTS: Hot flashes, sleep problems, nervousness, apprehension/concern, physical, and mental fatigue mean scores decreased after the education. The mean score of the somatic (before education: 3.5 ± 3.2, after education: 3.0 ± 3.0), psychological (before education: 3.0 ± 3.6, after education: 2.2 ± 2.9), and the total Menopause Rating Scale (before education: 7.3 ± 6.8, after education: 6.2 ± 6.9) were determined significantly lower after the education.
DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: It was determined that the education given to women with hearing impairments reduced the severity of symptoms experienced in the climacteric period.