Examination of Genital Hygiene, Quality of Life, and Urinary Incontinence Awareness in Menopausal Women After the Earthquake

Year 2024, Volume: 17 Issue: 1, 32 - 42, 30.06.2024

Gokce Yagmur Gunes Gencer , İpek Göktaş , Büşra Yıldırım Uz

https://doi.org/10.46414/yasad.1436396

Abstract

This descriptive study was conducted to examine the genital hygiene, quality of life, and urinary incon-tinence awareness of post-menopausal women aged 55 and older living in the earthquake region after the disaster. The study was carried out between 07.07.2023 and 20.01.2024, with the participation of women who were 55 years old or older, lived in the Arsuz District of Hatay City, and met the inclusion criteria. Socio-demographic data form, Urinary Incontinence Awareness and Attitude Scale, The Utian Quality of Life Scale, and Genital Hygiene Behaviour Scale were used to evaluate the participants in the study. The average age of the participants in the study was 64.05± 8.04. 55% of the participants were illiterate, and 42% were primary school graduates. 55% of the participants were diagnosed with incon-tinence before the disaster, and 31 participants (%9.68) stated that the frequency of incontinence increased after the disaster. In the study, it was revealed that participants had lower quality of life due to the disaster (X̄±SS=64.41±10.06). Additionally, they were aware of urinary incontinence as a health problem (X̄±SS=35.76±4.10) and experienced fear of urinary leakage due to incontinence (X̄±SS=10.76±2.95). In addition, in the urinary incontinence awareness assessment, it was shown that the participants had high health motivation regarding urinary incontinence, which they perceived as a health problem. However, some participants have reported an increase in urinary incontinence follow-ing the earthquake. This situation especially suggests that post-earthquake living conditions may negatively affect hygiene practices and reduce the quality of life by causing health problems. Therefore, the hygiene and health problems experienced by women in disaster situations need to be considered.

Keywords

Menopause, Earthquake, Genital hygiene, Quality of life, Urinary incontinence

Menopozlu Kadınlarda Deprem Sonrası Genital Hijyen, Yaşam Kalitesi ve Üriner İnkontinans Farkındalığının İncelenmesi

Abstract

Tanımlayıcı tipteki bu çalışma afet sonrası deprem bölgesinde yaşayan postmenopozal dönemdeki 55 yaş ve üzeri kadınların genital hijyen, yaşam kalitesi ve üriner inkontinans farkındalığının incelenmesi amacıyla yapılmıştır. Çalışma 07.07.2023-20.01.2024 tarihleri arasında, Hatay iline bağlı Arsuz ilçesinde ikamet eden 55 yaş ve üzeri menopoza girmiş, dahil edilme kriterlerine uyan kadınlar ile gerçekleştirildi. Çalışmada katılımcıların değerlendirilmesinde sosyodemografik veri formu, Üriner İnkontinans Far-kındalık ve Tutum Ölçeği, Utian Yaşam Kalitesi Ölçeği ve Genital Hijyen Davranışları Ölçeği kullanıldı. Çalışmadaki katılımcıların yaş ortalaması 64,05± 8,04 idi. Katılımcıların %55’i okuma yazma bilmiyor-du ve %42’si ilkokul mezunuydu. Katılımcılardan %55’i afet öncesi inkontinans tanısı almıştı ve 31 (%9,68) katılımcı afetten sonra inkontinans sıklığının arttığını ifade etti. Çalışmada, katılımcıların yaşam kalitelerinin afet nedeniyle daha düşük düzeyde olduğu (X̄±SS=64,41±10,06), üriner inkonti-nansın bir sağlık problemi olarak farkında oldukları (X̄±SS=35,76±4,10) ve inkontinansa bağlı idrar kaçırma korkusu yaşadıkları (X̄±SS=10,76±2,95) bulundu. Ayrıca üriner inkontinans farkındalık değerlendirmesinde katılımcıların bir sağlık problemi olarak algıladıkları üriner inkontinans konusun-da sağlık motivasyonlarının yüksek olduğu gösterilmiştir. Ancak, bazı katılımcılar deprem sonrası üriner inkontinanslarında artış yaşadıklarını belirtmiştir. Bu durum özellikle, deprem sonrası yaşam koşullarının hijyen uygulamalarını olumsuz etkileyebileceği ve sağlık sorunlarına neden olarak bireyle-rin yaşam kalitesini düşürebileceğini düşündürmektedir. Bu nedenle afet durumlarında kadınların yaşadığı hijyen ve sağlık sorunlarının dikkate alınması gerekmektedir.

Keywords

menopoz, deprem, genital hijyen, yaşam kalitesi, üriner inkontinans farkındalığı

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