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University of San Diego

Living with Changing Health: Perimenopause among Chinese Women in Taiwan

Abstract

dc:description.abstract

The purpose of this qualitative study was to generate theory about women's perimenopausal life experiences. Thirty-five Taiwanese women aged 40 to 59 who perceived themselves as perimenopausal and who were not using hormone therapy were interviewed. Data were generated from interviews which were conducted in Mandarin. Living with Changing Health was the core category for describing and guiding the process of perimenopause. During this process, Awareness was identified as the antecedent condition. Once the woman became aware, she would begin the process of living with her changing health. This process would be marked by action and interaction among the categories of Emotional Fluctuation, Searching for Answers, Compromising, Pursuing the Better Life, and Keeping on. Throughout this process women viewed perimenopause as A Natural Life Process during which they lived with their changing health. Although for Taiwanese women perimenopause is a natural life process, it is no longer a silent passage. Nurses should be sensitive to mid-life women noting if there is peaceful and silent passage or if there is hidden turbulence beneath their apparently peaceful lives. Helping them to live with their changing health is the most important issue for the care of Taiwanese perimenopausal women.

Degree

thesis:*
Name thesis:degree_name
Doctor of Nursing Science
Level thesis:degree_level
Dissertation: Open Access
Discipline thesis:degree_discipline
Nursing
Year dc:date.available
1997

Author and committee

dc:creator, dc:contributor.*
Author dc:creator
  • Tsao, Lee-Ing, DNSc, MNSc, RN

Subjects

dc:subject × 6

Identifiers

dc:identifier.*
Repository record dc:identifier
https://digital.sandiego.edu/dissertations/272
OAI identifier oai:identifier
oai:digital.sandiego.edu:dissertations-1275

Chain of custody

source
Harvested from
University of San Diego
Base URL
digital.sandiego.edu/do/oai/
Last updated
2026-07-24
Source record
OAI-PMH GetRecord
citation

Tsao, Lee-Ing, DNSc, MNSc, RN. Living with Changing Health: Perimenopause among Chinese Women in Taiwan. Dissertation: Open Access thesis, 1997. https://digital.sandiego.edu/dissertations/272