• The Journal of the Korea Contents Association
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• v.20 no.5
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• pp.181-192
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• 2020

The present study comprehensively explored the experiences of cognitive decline and of overcoming such decline in climacteric women to gain a deeper understanding of these women's cognitive health issues. Fourteen climacteric women were recruited, and data were collected through in-depth qualitative interviews. The collected data were analyzed using phenomenological methods suggested by Colliazzi. The quality of the present study was further improved according to the evaluative criteria for rigor suggested by Lincoln and Guba. The interviews resulted in 210 statements, 43 significant statements, 17 themes, and 5 theme clusters. The theme clusters were "loss of memory and distraction in everyday life," "struggle to overcome," "greeting an inevitable guest," "conforming to life changes," and "dreams of the past and future plans." As they experienced menopause, the participating women experienced decline in memory and concentration, as well as problems communicating. Climacteric women experienced cognitive decline during menopause and made significant efforts to overcome it; therefore, effective programs that promote cognitive function and adaptation should be provided for climacteric women.