Article
The impact of the woman's health initiative randomized controlled trial 2002 on perceived risk communication and use of postmenopausal hormone therapy in Germany
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Authors
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Cornelia Heitmann
- Institut für Public Health und Pflegeforschung der Universität Bremen, Bremen
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Eberhard Greiser
- Institut für Public Health und Pflegeforschung der Universität Bremen, Bremen
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Martina Dören
- Klinisches Forschungszentrum Frauengesundheit am Universitätsklinikum, Berlin
| Published: | September 8, 2005 |
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Outline
Text
Introduction
In July 2002, the estrogen progestin arm of the Women's Health Initiative Randomized Controlled Trial (WHI-RCT) was stopped prematurely. Widespread coverage of the study results by media and professional journals raised concerns among the public health.
Aim
The purpose of this representative, nationwide telephone survey was to collect information about postmenopausal hormone therapy (HT) use in relation to women’s knowledge about the WHI-RCT in Germany.
Methods
During July 2003, telephone interviews were conducted with randomly selected women aged 45-60 years (n=10.030; response 59.9%; completed interviews n=6.007).
Results
Most women stated that they knew about the WHI-RCT (88.6%), those with high educational status appeared to have more information than those with middle or low educational status. Among informed women (uninformed excluded), 46.6% continued, 25.7% stopped, 14.2 % ceased use of HT prior the WHI-RCT. The prevalence of lifetime use of HT was higher in West (37.4%) than in East Germany (29.2%). The most common reason to continue HT was the benefit risk assessment by physicians (58%), to stop HT were women´s perceptions that risks of HT exceeded benefits (56%). If information was solely given by physicians, women were more likely to continue HT (60.4%), compared with mass media (46.1%), as source of information.
Conclusions
The survey demonstrates the impact of the WHI-RCT, both media and advice by physicians were important. Women who continued use of HT did so largely because of their physician´s advice. Women who discontinued were mainly those who had a negative subjective perception about risk of HT.
