Relationship between women's attitude towards menopause and quality of life

OBJECTIVES: The aim of the study was to assess the symptoms of women and to describe the relationship between women's attitude towards menopause and quality of life. METHODS: This study was conducted from November 2010 to April 2011 at Celal Bayar University Faculty of Medicine and 494 women agreed to participate in the study. Women's attitudes towards menopause and quality of life were evaluated by Menopause-specific Quality of Life (MENQOL) questionnaires. RESULTS: Women with no education had the highest scores for vasomotor, psychosocial and physical cluster symptoms (4.1 ± 2.0, 3.1 ± 1.6, 3.2 ± 1.4, respectively). Vasomotor (4.0 ± 1.9) and physical quality-of-life scores (3.2 ± 1.40) were significantly higher among housewives. Psychosocial (3.6 ± 1.8) and physical scores (3.5 ± 1.5) of women who had no health insurance were found to be higher. The highest scores reported by the women were as follows: vasomotor, physical, psychosocial and sexual cluster (3.8 ± 1.9, 3.1 ± 1.4, 2.9 ± 1.6, 2.7 ± 1.8, respectively). Women with a negative attitude towards menopause were associated with more frequently reported symptoms compared to women with a positive attitude. The women whose relationships with their husband were negatively affected had higher vasomotor, psychosocial, physical, and sexual symptom scores (4.2 ± 1.7, 3.7 ± 1.7, 3.5 ± 1.5, 3.5 ± 1.8). Similarly, the vasomotor, psychosocial, physical, and sexual symptom scores were high in women who declared an unfavorable relationship with their children (4.5 ± 1.8, 3.8 ± 1.6, 3.7 ± 1.4, 3.2 ± 1.9). CONCLUSION: Health-care professionals should understand women's attitudes towards menopause, in order to give optimal information and help the women create positive attitudes and healthy perceptions of this period of life.