Judgments about estrogen replacement therapy: The role of age, cognitive abilities, and beliefs

This study investigated age, cognitive abilities, health beliefs, and other factors in women's judgments about effective treatments for menopause. Wom en (N = 102) ranging in age from 20 to 79 read a vignette about a woman fac ing a decision about Estrogen Replacement Therapy (ERT) and then made judgm ents about what should be done. Participants also completed a battery of qu estions pertaining to ERT and cognitive abilities. Path-analytic techniques were used to determine the role of specific cognitive abilities and the re presentation of menopause and its treatment in making judgments about ERT t reatments. Cognitive abilities had direct effects on treatment decisions. E ducation affected the number of perceived options for treatment. Age and ed ucation indirectly affected treatment decisions, operating through cognitiv e abilities. Factors related to the mental representation of menopause had no direct effects and few indirect effects on treatment decisions. Potentia l mechanisms that can help older adults compensate for declines in cognitiv e abilities in medical decisions are discussed.