Self-care During Menopause: Women's Perspectives on the Use of Mobile Phone Applications

Abstract

Background: The use of electronic tools, particularly mobile phones, has become an important approach to self-care education. Their easy accessibility, time and cost savings, and the ability to use them anywhere and at any time have contributed to their increasing acceptance among menopausal women. Objectives: This study aimed to explore Ahvazi women’s perspectives on using mobile phone applications for self-care during menopause and to emphasize the importance of digital health tools in supporting women’s health needs during this stage of life. Methods: This descriptive cross-sectional study examined the perspectives of 103 menopausal women attending selected health centers in Ahvaz on enhancing self-care through mobile applications during menopause. Data were collected using a researcher-made questionnaire. After the sample size was reached (n = 103), the data were entered and analyzed using SPSS software, version 23. Results: The mean age of the participants was 53.6 years (range, 44 - 64 years), and the mean age of their spouses was 57.8 years (range, 44 - 75 years). Most participants were housewives (85; 83.5%) and had a diploma-level education (39; 37.9%). Most participants reported that mobile health (mHealth) was easy to use (83; 80.6%), that they trusted virtual platforms for medical inquiries (87; 84.5%), that they were willing to use mHealth in the future (91; 87.4%), and that they would recommend it to others (93; 90.3%) (P < 0.001). These findings indicate positive attitudes toward mHealth adoption among the participants. Conclusions: Ahvazi women demonstrated a positive attitude and strong willingness to use mobile applications for self-care during menopause. These findings underscore the need to design and implement simple, reliable, and needs-based mobile applications to effectively improve quality of life and self-care during this important stage of women’s lives.