Abstract
BACKGROUND: Menopause, a crucial stage in women's lives, is often accompanied by various symptoms. Phytoestrogen, found in many foods, has been shown to reduce these symptoms. Given the importance of phytoestrogen consumption, there is a clear need for educational interventions in this area. This study aimed to fill this gap by investigating and comparing the effects of virtual and face-to-face education on menopausal women's use of phytoestrogen. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This quasi-experimental study was performed on 134 women in middle age 45-55 years old who have family physician databases of Jahrom University of Medical Sciences, south of Iran, 2022. The sampling method and assigning the subjects to two educational intervention groups (67 in the face-to-face group and 67 in the virtual group) were conducted randomly. The educational intervention for the face-to-face intervention group and the virtual group consisted of five 60-minute education sessions using the methods of lecture, question and answer, and group discussion, and the virtual education group would receive five short (3-4 minutes) video clips, text, and image messages through WhatsApp Messenger, respectively. Data were analyzed using SPSS 24 software, which used a paired t test, an independent t test, and a Chi-square. RESULTS: The results of the independent t test showed that before (P = 0.071) and after (P = 0.72) the educational intervention, no significant difference was observed between the two intervention groups in terms of phytoestrogen consumption however, according the paired test in regard to phytoestrogen consumption, significant increases in the amount of phytoestrogen consumed by both the virtual education group (P < 0.001) and face-to-face education group (P < 0.001) were seen. Moreover, after the intervention, there were no significant differences in mean scores of MRS (P = 0.37), somatic dimension (P = 1.00), Psychological dimension (P = 0.15), and urogenital dimension (P = 0.52). CONCLUSION: This study demonstrates the potential of both virtual and face-to-face educational interventions in increasing women's knowledge and attitude about menopause symptoms and promoting the consumption of phytoestrogen-containing foods. These interventions, with a focus on enabling conditions, can significantly influence health-seeking habits among the menopausal population, offering a promising avenue for improving menopausal health.