Open Call to Participate in A Multi-ethnic Internet Study On Menopausal Symptoms

Open Call to Paricipate in A Multi-ethnic Internet Study On Menopausal Symptoms

Increasing ethnic diversity of the U.S. population requires health professionals to practice with greater cultural competence in areas such as the management of menopausal symptoms, where cultural beliefs mediate the biology of reproduction and aging. A growing number of studies have challenged the universality of menopausal symptoms by indicating significant ethnic differences in how women experience them. However, few investigators have studied ethnic populations in the U.S., and few studies have been national in scope. With advances in computer technologies, the Internet now provides an excellent medium of national and international communication and allows people in different geographical areas to communicate and exchange their experiences and opinions. The proposed study uses innovative Internet data collection methods to collect national data and essential information about specific ethnic differences in menopausal symptom experience while respecting women's own experiences.

Eun-Ok Im, MPH, PhD, School of Nursing, University of Texas at Austin and her colleagues are conducting an Internet study on menopausal symptom experience among diverse ethnic groups of middle-aged women. In the study, Internet survey and online forums using a Web site (home-page) will be conducted to get information on women's symptom experience during the menopausal transition.

You are being asked to participate in this study if you are a middle aged woman aged 40 to 60 years who can read and write English and who are a White, Hispanic, African-American, or Asian Americans.

Data will be collected from July 1, 2005 to June 30, 2008. Methods for the data collection include an Internet survey among 500 middle aged women in the U.S. on the Internet and online forum discussions among four ethnically different online forum groups (30 members per group at the beginning).

Your involvement will be: (a) about 30 minutes are usually needed to complete the Internet survey questionnaire; and (b) online forums will be conducted for 6 months (6 months for 7 discussion topics and additional topics that the participants may add) if you agree to participate in the additional online forum discussions. Your participation is asynchronous (participants can visit the online forum site and read and post messages at their convenience).

Reimbursement for participation will be made by providing a Target gift certificate of 10 dollars per Internet survey participant and a Target gift certificate of 50 dollars per online forum participant. To get reimbursed for the online forums, at least two messages per topic should be posted. For more information, please visit MOMS Website and/or contact Dr. Eun-Ok Im.

Contact Information:
Yi Liu, Graduate Research Assistant
School of Nursing
University of Texas at Austin
1700 Red River
Austin, TX 78701
e-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Dr. Eun-Ok Im
Professor
School of Nursing, The University of Texas at Austin
1700 Red River, Austin, TX, 78701
Phone: (512) 475-6352
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