Abstract
During menopause, women experiences major physical changes. There are concurrent psychosocial changes. Both can be stressful. It is thought that a woman's flexibility can help her cope. To better understand the concept of flexibility a concept analysis following the methods of Rodgers was conducted. Thirty publications from nursing, psychology, sociology and feminism during the years 2000 through 2005 were reviewed. Attributes of flexibility were extracted:smooth movement, differentiation and integration, adaptive and sensitive response, adjustment, and efficiency. Antecedents of flexibility were also extracted:constantly changing environments, multiple conflicting demands, uncertainty, and a tendency to support change and diversity. Consequences of flexibility were extracted:extending range of control, resilience to external shock, improving the spirit of cooperation, becoming thoughtful, and maintaining emotional stability. Flexibility is a property concept because it expresses a state. Being flexible can require the capacity of analyze situations and be adaptable to circumstances. Developing these capacities can mitigate the problems of menopause. The results of this analysis will be used to devise nursing interventions to promote healthful flexibility among menopausal women.
