RESUMEN
OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to assess whether prior knowledge of computer use determines performance of virtual reality tasks by postmenopausal women and whether menopausal symptoms, sociodemographic factors, lifestyle and cognition modify or interfere with their performance. METHOD: This cross-sectional study included 152 postmenopausal women divided into two groups: computer users and non-users. Age, ethnicity, time of menopause, menopausal symptoms, female health status, level of physical activity and cognitive function were considered. The participants played a virtual reality game and were assessed for hits, errors, omissions and game time. The Mann-Whitney, chi-square and Fisher exact tests and multivariate linear regression analysis were used. RESULTS: Postmenopausal computer users play virtual reality games (p = 0.005) better than postmenopausal non-users of computers. Vasomotor symptoms were high in women who used computers compared to those who did not (p = 0.006). Multivariate linear regression analysis found that the best-fitting predictors for the number of hits - that is, age (p = 0.039), Mini-Mental State Examination score (p = 0.006) and the headache symptom (p = 0.021) - influence the performance of virtual reality tasks. CONCLUSION: Computer users performed virtual reality tasks better than non-users. Headache and age but not vasomotor symptoms negatively affected the postmenopausal women's performance.
Asunto(s)
Posmenopausia , Realidad Virtual , Humanos , Femenino , Estudios Transversales , Cognición , CefaleaRESUMEN
Technological advances have been impacting health care worldwide. Our study aimed to research the literature systematically to determine the impact of technological treatments versus conventional treatments on the quality of life of climacteric women. The study was registered on PROSPERO (CRD42021241638). We searched seven databases, including PRISMA, using mesh terms. After screening for eligibility, we selected five clinical trials, and applying the snowball technique we were able to include four more articles, totaling nine articles that used technology-based interventions (virtual reality games) during the climacteric. The total study population consisted of 298 climacteric women. Two studies evaluated a technology-based treatment for pelvic floor, one for urinary incontinence symptoms, three for postural balance, one for cardiorespiratory capacity, one for osteoporosis and one study for lower back pain. The studies showed that the technological treatments improved pelvic floor strength, balance, cardiorespiratory fitness and bone mineral density when compared to conventional treatments. Improvement was linked to adherence to training and a high level of satisfaction during the training sessions. Technology-based treatments appear to be a viable alternative to conventional treatments in improving the quality of health, with benefits for the cardiovascular, genitourinary and skeletal systems, and ultimately for the overall quality of life.