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Understanding attitudes of older women toward hormone replacement
therapy.
Preventive Medicine 2001;32(1):49-56.
Phelan EA, Buist DS, Anderson LA, Newton KM, Delaney KM, LaCroix AZ.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Counseling women facing the decision to initiate, continue, or
discontinue hormone replacement therapy represents a major challenge for
providers. Women's attitudes deserve careful consideration in this context,
because attitudes may influence hormone replacement therapy use and patients'
satisfaction with decision-making. Little is known about factors that may
explain different attitudes. METHODS: To evaluate the association between
char acteristics of peri- and postmenopausal women and their attitudes toward
hormone replacement therapy, we conducted a population-based, computer-assisted
telephone survey of 1,076 randomly selected women, ages 50-80, at a staff-model
health maintenance organization. Women with a positive or neutral attitude
were compared to those with a negative attitude. We exam ined associations
between attitudes and demographic and clinical characteristics, self-rated
health status, physical function, personal and family history of condi tions
affected by hormone replacement therapy, gyne cologic visits, provider characteristics,
interactions with provider, and sources of information about hor mone replacement
therapy. RESULTS: The perception of being adequately informed about the benefits
of hormone replacement therapy by one's provider was associated with a tripling
of the likelihood of having a positive attitude toward hormone replacement
therapy. Additional fac tors associated with positive attitudes included
past hormone replacement therapy use, younger age, a higher level of physical
functioning, and personal history of heart disease. Relationships between
these vari ables and attitudes varied among current hormone replacement therapy
users and nonusers. CONCLUSIONS: The study findings reinforce the critical
role of provider counseling in shaping women's atti tudes about hormone replacement
therapy. Copyright 2000 American Health Foundation and Academic Press.