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Dissertation Information for Nadine Wathen

NAME:
- Nadine Wathen

DEGREE:
- Ph.D.

DISCIPLINE:
- Library and Information Science

SCHOOL:
- University of Western Ontario (Canada) (2004)

ADVISORS:
- Roma Harris

COMMITTEE MEMBERS:
- Gloria Leckie
- Moira Anne Stewart

MPACT Status: Fully Complete

Title: The "pause" in menopause? What informs women's decisions to discontinue hormone replacement therapy?

Abstract: Women use hormone replacement therapy (HRT) primarily to manage physical and psychological discomfort associated with menopause. However, as indicated by the results from the Women's Health Initiative (WHI) HRT study in 2002, the benefits of HRT both for symptom relief and to prevent certain chronic diseases come at a price. Women must decide, often without adequate information, whether the benefits of HRT outweigh the risks. In the course of their decision-making, women consult a variety of formal and informal sources of information and support, often encountering alternative products and approaches to alleviate menopausal effects, adding an additional level of complexity to decision-making. Women's decisions are set in the broader context of menopause itself--a life transition that may bring mixed feelings of fear, sadness, tranquility and relief from the burdens of younger womanhood. Western culture has placed certain constraints on the menopause experience, which has largely become defined by society and by most women as at best a health issue, at worst a disease requiring medical intervention. In the present study, 20 women who were current or previous HRT users were interviewed and another 285 women completed a questionnaire regarding: starting, using and stopping HRT, their experiences of menopause, the role of complementary/alternative medicines (CAM), and their information needs, sources and behaviours when making HRT-related decisions. The majority of the interview and all the questionnaire data were collected following release of the WHI results, allowing an examination of the impact of this news on women's decisions. Results indicated that women's information behaviour differed according to which decision they were making (starting versus stopping HRT, considering CAM), as did the sources they consulted. In general, there is a paucity of good information to help women who are deciding to stop HRT. The types and sources of CAM information are often found to be less than credible and helpful. When information is lacking, women rely on informal sources, and on their own judgement, to make decisions. The results are discussed in the context of information behaviour theory and the recent changes in women's attitudes and practices regarding HRT.

MPACT Scores for Nadine Wathen

A = 0
C = 0
A+C = 0
T = 0
G = 0
W = 0
TD = 0
TA = 0
calculated 2008-01-31 06:26:57

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