First author and year: Hofnie-//Hoëbes, 2009

Study design:

Mixed methods - Quantitative (questionnaire) and qualitative (open ended interviews)

Objective:

To determine where and what information is available regarding menopause and from where it is obtained

Setting:

Namibia, urban and rural locations

Participants:

N = 1079

How recruited:

Multi-stage cluster sampling from community

When:

March-April 2008

Inclusion criteria:

Pre-menopausal, peri-menopausal and menopausal women

Tools and data collection:

Questionnaire and open-ended interviews with a guide

Analysis:

SPSS software. Pearson chi-square test. Descriptive documentation of focus group discussion

Significant others = 55%

Health care workers = 12%

Other = 14%

Books = 13%

TV = 3%

Church = 2%

Internet = 1%

Validity and reliability of tools not clear

First author and year: Ibraheem, 2015

Study design:

Mixed methods - Quantitative (questionnaire) and qualitative (focus groups)

Objective:

To determine menopausal experiences and perceptions of women

Setting:

Nigeria

Participants:

N = 240. Aged 46 - 69 years (mean 56.9)

How recruited:

Multi-stage random sampling from list of local government areas

When:

April 2008

Inclusion criteria:

Age, amenorrhoea for 12 months & above, member of community & voluntary verbal consent

Tools and data collection:

Piloted guide for focus group discussions with results informing semi-structured questionnaires. Cronbach’s Alpha for instrument 0.745

Analysis:

Chi-square and descriptive for quantitative data. Content analysis for focus groups.

Mother, sister, aunt or friend = 58.8%

Electronic & print media = 8.9%

Health care provider = 4.9%

Religious leaders = 3.0%

No exclusion criteria

First author and year: Ikeme, 2011

Study design:

Quantitative - Questionnaire

Objective:

To determine knowledge and perceptions of menopause and climacteric symptoms

Setting:

Nigeria

Participants:

N = 432. Aged 45 - 60

How recruited:

Random selection

When:

Not stated

Inclusion criteria:

Not described

Tools and data collection:

Self-administered structured questionnaire

Analysis:

SPSS software. Descriptive statistics with cross tabulations.

No comment = 44.4%

Gynaecology clinic = 22.2%

Self prayers = 13.9%

Medical clinic in hospital = 11.1%

Native doctor = 2.8%

Clinic and priest and self prayer = 2.8%

Medical clinic and priest = 2.8%

Menopausal status not indicated

Data collection tools not subjected to validity and reliability test

Data collection period not indicated

Total population not described

Cross-tabs indicated in methods, but not seen in data analysis

First author and year: Maharaj, 2007

Study design:

Quantitative - Questionnaire

Objective:

To assess whether women in an under-resourced country have adequate knowledge of the menopause/HRT to engage in patient-provider discussions and utilised in full informed consent for HRT

Setting:

South Africa, Durban

Participants:

N = 150 (complete data and included = 139). Aged 18 - 40 years (mean 31)

How recruited:

Not stated

When:

Not stated

Inclusion criteria:

Past and present users of HRT aged ≥ 40 years.

Tools and data collection:

Questionnaire

Analysis:

ANOVA chi-square

Family = 52.5%

Friends = 44.6%

Media = 41.7%

GPs = 14.4%

Clinic: 11.5%

Hospital = 9.4%

Sample not proportional

Design not indicated

Aim too broad

Tools not subjected to reliability test

Initial inclusion of teenagers was inadequate