Psychology and Health Research Unit, ISPA-Instituto Universitário, Lisboa, Portugal.
Maturitas. 2011 Aug;69(4):338-42. doi: 10.1016/j.maturitas.2011.05.005. Epub 2011 Jun 15.
To develop a model to predict the perceived severity of hot flashes (HF) and night sweats (NS) in symptomatic middle-aged women.
This was a cross-sectional study of a community-based sample of 243 women with vasomotor symptoms. Menopausal status was ascertained using the 'Stages of Reproductive Aging Workshop' criteria. Women's 'perceived control' over their symptoms was measured by a validated Portuguese version of the Perceived Control over Hot Flushes Index. Structural equation modelling was employed to construct a causal model of self-reported severity of both HF and NS, using a set of 20 variables: age, marital status, parity, professional status, educational level, family annual income, recent diseases and psychological problems, medical help-seeking behaviour to manage menopausal symptoms, use of hormone therapy and herbal/soy products, menopause status, intake of alcohol, coffee and hot beverages, smoking, physical exercise, body mass index and perceived control.
Significant predictors of perceived severity were the use of hormone therapy for both HF (β=-.245; p=.022) and NS (β=-.298; p=.008), coffee intake for both HF (β=-.234; p=.039) and NS (β=-.258; p=.029) and perceived control for both HF (β=-1.0; p<.001) and NS (β=-1.0; p<.001). The variables explained respectively 67% and 72% of the variability in the perceived severity of HF and NS. Women with high perceived control had a significantly lower frequency (t(235)=2.022; p=.044) and intensity of HF (t(217)=3.582; p<.001); similarly, participants with high perceived control presented a lower frequency (t(235)=3.267; p<.001) and intensity (t(210)=3.376; p<.001) of NS.
Perceived control was the strongest predictor of the self-reported severity of both HF and NS. Other causal predictors were hormone therapy and caffeine intake. All three were associated with less severe vasomotor symptoms.
开发一个预测有血管舒缩症状的中年女性感知热潮（HF）和盗汗（NS）严重程度的模型。
这是一项基于社区的 243 名有血管舒缩症状的女性的横断面研究。绝经状态使用“生殖衰老研讨会阶段”标准确定。女性对其症状的“感知控制”通过经过验证的葡萄牙语版感知热潮控制指数进行测量。使用一组 20 个变量（年龄、婚姻状况、生育次数、职业状况、教育水平、家庭年收入、近期疾病和心理问题、寻求医疗帮助来管理更年期症状、激素治疗和草药/大豆产品的使用、绝经状态、饮酒、咖啡和热饮、吸烟、体育锻炼、体重指数和感知控制），采用结构方程模型构建自我报告的 HF 和 NS 严重程度的因果模型。
感知严重程度的显著预测因子是 HF（β=-.245；p=.022）和 NS（β=-.298；p=.008）的激素治疗、HF（β=-.234；p=.039）和 NS（β=-.258；p=.029）的咖啡摄入量以及 HF（β=-1.0；p<.001）和 NS（β=-1.0；p<.001）的感知控制。这些变量分别解释了 HF 和 NS 感知严重程度变化的 67%和 72%。感知控制高的女性 HF 发生频率（t(235)=2.022；p=.044）和强度（t(217)=3.582；p<.001）显著降低；同样，感知控制高的参与者 NS 发生频率（t(235)=3.267；p<.001）和强度（t(210)=3.376；p<.001）也降低。
感知控制是自我报告的 HF 和 NS 严重程度的最强预测因子。其他因果预测因子是激素治疗和咖啡因摄入。这三个因素都与血管舒缩症状不那么严重有关。
