Randomized Controlled Trial Protocol for Evaluating the Effect of Group Education on Postmenopausal Sexual Dysfunction

OBJECTIVES: This study primarily aimed to determine the effect of group education on sexual dysfunction in postmenopausal women referred to health centers in Hamadan, Iran. METHODS: This randomized controlled clinical trial conducted on 90 postmenopausal women from October 2018 to March 2019. Postmenopausal women who met the inclusion criteria and received approval of a psychiatrist were randomly divided into intervention and control groups (n = 45 in each group). They completed the demographic questionnaire and the Female Sexual Function Index questionnaire. Thereafter, four sessions of group training were conducted for women in the intervention group; these women were followed up for 1 month after the last training session. Data were analyzed using the SPSS ver. 16 software, and descriptive statistics and ANCOVA/ANOVA test were used for data analysis. RESULTS: We found that the two groups were homogenous in most of the demographic variables and the data were normal. The total mean score of sexual function and standard deviation after the intervention was 23.70 ± 3.67 in the intervention group and 19.94 ± 3.64 in the control group, indicating that these scores were significantly higher in the intervention group than in the control group (P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Based on the results, group training is recommended to reduce sexual dysfunction in postmenopausal women at health centers.