Midlife Women's Attributions about Perceived Memory Changes: Observations from the Seattle Midlife Women's Health Study

Memory changes are of increasing interest as midlife women approach menopause. Recent studies of relationships between estrogen and Alzheimer's disease have prompted interest in memory experiences around the time of menopause. The purpose of this analysis, part of the larger Seattle Midlife Women's Health Study (SMWHS), was to describe the types of memory changes women perceived during midlife, to describe their attributions about the memory changes, and to describe the relationship among these types and attributions of memory changes and age, menopausal transition stage, hormone replacement therapy (HRT) use, stress, and major life roles. Women (n = 230) with a mean age of 46.7 years, enrolled in the SMWHS, described whether they had noticed any changes in their memory, when they noticed them first, the nature of the changes, and what they thought were the reasons for the changes. Types of memory changes were collapsed into five categories, which included difficulty recalling words or numbers, forgetting related to everyday behavior, concentration problems, need for memory aids, and forgetting events. Six categories describing attributions about the memory changes were increased role burden and stress, getting older, physical health, menstrual cycle changes/hormones, inadequate concentration, and emotional factors. Stress, physical health, and aging as attributions, rather than the menstrual cycle or hormone use, were linked to most types of memory change.