Information sources consulted by women in Nigeria to manage menopausal symptoms: A systematic review.

Abstract

Background: Menopause is a stage in a woman's life that signifies the end of menstruation and fertility The age at which a woman begins to enter this phase ranges between 45 and 55 years, though some women enter earlier or later. Unlike Western societies, little is known about women’s health-related information on how to manage menopause in Nigeria. Due to the socio-cultural and health infrastructure in Nigeria, the experience of menopause and its attendant symptoms might be perceived and managed differently than in other parts of the world. The aim of this study is to conduct a systematic review to identify the various information sources consulted by women in Nigeria to effectively manage menopausal symptoms.

Method: The search for relevant publications from January 2003 to August 2023 was conducted on several databases. Of the 73 discovered studies, 12 were sourced from PubMed, 15 from Google Scholar, 20 from Medline, 2 from Scopus, 6 from Research Gate, and 24 from African Journals Online (AJOL). Only nine of these were deemed suitable based on the eligibility criteria. Seven of the included studies were quantitative in nature, whereas two adopted a qualitative method.

Results: Throughout different regions, Nigerian women rely on a blend of culture and the dynamics of urban evolution to source information for the management of menopausal symptoms. The review has demonstrated that women depend more on their community and family tier when sourcing information. Other sources of information include healthcare providers, television, and social media platforms, among others.

Conclusion: The reviewed documents collectively revealed that the experience of menopause differs across several regions of Nigeria. It was found that many Nigerian women experiencing menopausal symptoms seem to depend more on a non-medical source for information to strategically manage the condition. This preference for non-medical sources shows a serious gap in medical awareness which could possibly imply a serious cultural, social, and religious influence on the health behaviour of women in Nigeria.