Joseph Nitin, Nagaraj Kondagunta, Saralaya Vittal, Nelliyanil Maria, Rao Pp Jagadish
Department of Community Medicine, Kasturba Medical College, Manipal University, Mangalore, Karnataka, India.
Department of Community Medicine, Kamineni Institute of Medical Sciences, Sreepuram, Narketpally, Nalgonda, Andhra Pradesh, India.
J Midlife Health. 2014 Apr;5(2):84-90. doi: 10.4103/0976-7800.133996.
Menopausal symptoms experienced by women are known to affect their quality-of-life. The symptoms experienced at menopause are quite variable and their etiology is found to be multifactorial. This study was hence done to assess the pattern and severity of menopausal symptoms and to find out the factors associated with these symptoms.
This cross-sectional study was conducted in various outreach clinics of Kasturba Medical College, Mangalore. Women in the age group of 40-65 years were included in the study by convenient sampling method. Data regarding menopausal symptom was obtained by interviewing each participant using the menopause rating scale questionnaire.
Mean age of the participants were 54.2 ± 7.2 years and mean age of attainment of menopause was 48.4 ± 4.5 years. Mean duration of menopause was found to be 7.5 ± 5.3 years. Commonest symptom reported was joint and muscular discomfort and physical and mental exhaustion seen in 94 (85.4%) participants. The mean number of symptoms reported by participants was 7.6 ± 2.8. Educated women reported significantly more symptoms (F = 2.218, P = 0.047). Somatic and urogenital symptoms were more among perimenopausal women and somatic symptoms were more among postmenopausal women. Fifty-eight (52.7%) participants had one or more severe symptoms. Severe symptoms were most among premenopausal women.
The high proportion and severity of menopausal symptoms observed in this study group proves that menopausal symptoms are common and cannot be ignored. More of menopausal clinics are needed for awareness generation, early recognition and treatment of related morbidities.
众所周知，女性经历的更年期症状会影响她们的生活质量。更年期出现的症状差异很大，其病因是多因素的。因此，本研究旨在评估更年期症状的模式和严重程度，并找出与这些症状相关的因素。
本横断面研究在芒格洛尔卡斯图尔巴医学院的各个外展诊所进行。采用方便抽样法纳入40 - 65岁年龄组的女性。通过使用更年期评定量表问卷对每位参与者进行访谈来获取有关更年期症状的数据。
参与者的平均年龄为54.2±7.2岁，平均绝经年龄为48.4±4.5岁。发现绝经的平均持续时间为7.5±5.3年。报告的最常见症状是关节和肌肉不适以及身心疲惫，94名（85.4%）参与者出现此症状。参与者报告的症状平均数量为7.6±2.8。受过教育的女性报告的症状明显更多（F = 2.218，P = 0.047）。围绝经期女性的躯体和泌尿生殖系统症状更多，绝经后女性的躯体症状更多。58名（52.7%）参与者有一个或多个严重症状。严重症状在绝经前女性中最为常见。
本研究组中观察到的更年期症状的高比例和严重程度证明更年期症状很常见且不容忽视。需要更多的更年期诊所来提高认识、早期识别和治疗相关疾病。
