“Weight loss is my goal and being healthy is my goal… I can get over the hot flashes”: a qualitative exploration of menopausal transition experiences and preferences for weight management among White women
Year: 2023
Type: article
Abstract: OBJECTIVES: A qualitative research study design was used to (1) describe experiences of White women during the menopausal transition, and (2) identify barriers and facilitators for participating in a lifestyle program targeting weight management. METHODS: Perimenopausal and postmenopausal White women who self-reported a desire to lose or maintain weight participated in focus groups. Women were queried about their past diet, exercise, and weight management practices; menopausal transition; and specific components and considerations for developing a lifestyle program for weight management. Thematic analysis was conducted on coded transcripts and four main themes emerged, each containing three to six subthemes. RESULTS: Twenty-eight White women (age 54 ± 3 y, body mass index 31.4 ± 9.5 kg/m 2 ) were enrolled. Overall, women felt menopause was a major life event that coincided with weight gain and frustrating body changes. Women already engaged in many different types of exercises and diets to lose weight. Women also talked to healthcare professionals about menopause but were disappointed in the support they received. Women were interested in a lifestyle program that included menopause-specific education, which focused on results beyond weight, which was flexible to their busy lifestyle, and which provided opportunities to build camaraderie among other women experiencing menopause. CONCLUSIONS: This cohort of White women were interested in receiving menopause information and improving their overall health as part of a lifestyle program targeting weight management during this transition. Building camaraderie with other women affected by menopause is important to women, as is creating a lifestyle program that is flexible with daily life.
Language: English
Subfield: Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: green
Funders: National Institutes of Health, National Institute on Aging, National Institute of Nursing Research, National Institute of General Medical Sciences, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development
Awards: Reprometabolic Syndrome Mediates Subfertility in Obesity, Influence of menopause on adipose tissue accumulation and function, A home-based intervention to improve adherence to the 24-Hour Movement Guidelines in young children, Charting the Path to Health in Midlife and Beyond: the Biology and Practice of Wellness, Pre-IVF treatment with a GnRH antagonist in women with endometriosis - A prospective double blind placebo controlled trial 2/3, Promoting fat loss during pregnancy in women with grade 2 and 3 obesity, G7434339691, A pragmatic, scalable e-health intervention for management of gestational weight gain in low-income mothers, Training in Obesity Research, Louisiana Clinical and Translational Science Center, Pennington/Louisiana NORC, The Clinical Research/Reproductive Scientist Training Program (CREST)
OpenAlex ID: W4386646488