Table 1 Semi-structured interview and focus group questions
From: Exploring Australian Aboriginal Women’s experiences of menopause: a descriptive study
Broad area | Prompts |
|---|---|
Terminology | How do Aboriginal women/you refer to the menopausal transition? |
What sort of terms do they use? i.e. menopause, change of life, The Change etc | |
Beliefs and expectations | How do Aboriginal women/you view menopause? Is it something natural or a disease, something that is looked forward to (free of reproductive responsibilities) or feared (scared of the symptoms)? Is menopause viewed as something that is positive or negative? Does this perspective change before, during or after menopause? |
Symptoms and experiences | What symptoms (if any) or changes do Aboriginal Women/you experience during and after menopause? |
Treatment and ways of dealing with menopause | Do you use or know others who use hormone replacement therapy, traditional medicines or other methods such as fans? What sorts of things do you do to cope with menopausal symptoms? |
Effect of comorbidities | Do you think that other illnesses affect your experience of menopause? Do you think poor health and other life stressors overshadow menopause symptoms? |