BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Nutrition is considered as an effective factor in reducing the problems associated with menopause. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of nutritional education on nutritional behavior and the number of hot flashes in perimenopausal and menopausal women.

METHODS: This trial was conducted on 54 healthy married perimenopausal and menopausal women aged 45-60 years in Kaleybar city, Eastern Azerbaijan, Iran. The participants were divided into two groups using randomized blocking method. The experimental group received three sessions of 45 to 60-minute lecture weekly about nutrition and the control group received no intervention. Nutritional behavior and the number of hot flashes were recorded and investigated at baseline (before intervention), 8 and 12 weeks after intervention using nutritional subscale of HPLP-П questionnaire and a checklist, respectively (IRCT:2012111210324N6).

FINDINGS: 27 participants (100%) of intervention group and 26 (96.3%) cases of control group completed the study. At baseline, mean±SD of nutritional behavior score was 14.7±3.4 in the intervention and 14.8±13.8 in the control group from attainable score of 10-40 and the difference between two groups was not significant (p=0.910). With adjusting the baseline nutritional behavior score, the score in the intervention group was significantly higher than that in control group at the end of both 8_th week [(mean difference: 7.7, 95% confidence interval: 6.4 to 9.0), p<0.001] and 12_th week [(8.9, 7.4 to 10.3), p>0.001]. Also, after adjusting the baseline number of hot flashes, there was significant difference between two groups (control and intervention ) in terms of hot flashes in both 8 weeks [(-1.0, -1.5 to -0.4), p<0.001] and 12 weeks after intervention [(-2.3, -3.1 to -1.5), p<0.001].

CONCLUSION: The results showed that nutritional education improved nutritional behavior and reduced hot flashes in perimenopausal and menopausal women.