Mankar Suchitra, Johnson Avita Rose, Chawla Parvinder Singh, Basannar Dashrath
Doorstep Health Services, 1, Akashganga, Pimple Nilakh, Pune, Maharashtra, India.
Department of Community Health, St John's Medical College, Bengaluru, Karnataka, India.
J Family Med Prim Care. 2024 Apr;13(4):1371-1378. doi: 10.4103/jfmpc.jfmpc_1129_23. Epub 2024 Apr 22.
Menopause is an inevitable phase in every woman's life. Women may suffer from unpleasant symptoms during perimenopause. Understanding the health needs of the community during this period will help in developing menopause management programs that can improve quality of life.
To study the symptoms of menopause and perception of women in relation to menopause in order to understand their needs.
A cross-sectional, multi-centric study was undertaken at three institutions (called DH, SJ, and SK) at two cities in India. The study population comprised women between the ages of 40 and 60. Institutional Ethics Committee approval and consent of participants were ensured.
Two instruments, a pilot-tested, peer-reviewed, validated, structured questionnaire and the Menopause Rating Scale (MRS) were utilized for the study. The minimum sample size was calculated to be 385 per site. Statistical analysis was conducted using the IBM Statistical Package for Social Sciences.
A total of 1297 forms were analyzed. MRS scores showed psychological symptoms to be most prevalent. Joint and muscular pains were the most common somatic symptoms. Hot flashes and urogenital symptoms were experienced by a lower number. Our MRS scores were significantly higher than those seen in other regions. Urban women, site SJ, those with irregular menstrual cycles, and lower incomes scored higher than their counterparts. Awareness about menopause was patchy, especially regarding medication or support services available.
The high MRS scores emphasize the need to institute awareness programs, providing information on choices available for care (hormone replacement therapy, medications, or counseling) and information on where to access services. Primary care physicians can play a vital role in fulfilling this need by ensuring timely knowledge to the community, providing correct diagnosis and treatment. This will help improve the quality of life and sense of well-being of this community.
绝经是每位女性生命中不可避免的阶段。女性在围绝经期可能会出现不适症状。了解这一时期社区的健康需求将有助于制定能够改善生活质量的绝经管理方案。
研究绝经症状以及女性对绝经的认知，以了解她们的需求。
在印度两个城市的三个机构（分别称为DH、SJ和SK）开展了一项横断面、多中心研究。研究人群为年龄在40至60岁之间的女性。确保获得了机构伦理委员会的批准以及参与者的同意。
本研究使用了两种工具，即经过预试验、同行评审、验证的结构化问卷和绝经评定量表（MRS）。每个研究点的最小样本量计算为385例。使用IBM社会科学统计软件包进行统计分析。
共分析了1297份表格。MRS评分显示心理症状最为普遍。关节和肌肉疼痛是最常见的躯体症状。潮热和泌尿生殖系统症状的发生率较低。我们的MRS评分显著高于其他地区。城市女性、SJ研究点的女性、月经周期不规律的女性以及收入较低的女性得分高于相应的对照组。对绝经的认知参差不齐，尤其是关于可用的药物或支持服务方面。
较高的MRS评分强调了开展宣传项目的必要性，提供有关护理选择（激素替代疗法、药物或咨询）的信息以及获取服务地点的信息。初级保健医生可以通过确保及时向社区提供知识、提供正确的诊断和治疗来满足这一需求，发挥至关重要的作用。这将有助于提高该社区的生活质量和幸福感。
