Menopausal symptoms, attitudes toward menopause, and social media/internet use among women in the climacteric period: a cross-sectional study.

OBJECTIVE

To examine associations between menopausal symptom severity, attitudes toward menopause, and internet/social media use among climacteric women.

METHOD: This analytical cross-sectional study included 250 women aged 40-64 years attending gynecology inpatient units and family medicine outpatient clinics at a university hospital. Data were collected between July and September 2025, after ethics committee approval. Participants completed questionnaires including validated scales for menopausal attitudes and symptom severity.

RESULTS

Most participants were postmenopausal (61.2%); mean age was 49.2 years. Internet/social media use indicators were not associated with attitudes toward menopause. Higher severity in symptoms was associated with longer daily internet/social media use, obtaining menopause-related information online, and searching online before medical consultation. A moderate general internet/social media use pattern (2-3 times/week and 1-3 hours/day) was associated with lower symptom severity.

CONCLUSION

Online information-seeking was associated with menopausal symptom severity but not attitudes. Nurses and other health professionals should assess online information-seeking and support digital health literacy by guiding women to reliable resources.