Relationship between biological changes and symptoms and health behaviour during the climacteric.

The object of this investigation was to assess the impact of biological (hormonal) changes during the climacteric on self-reported health status and health behaviour in a group of middle-aged women. The central research question was whether or not the menopausal phase (pre, peri, post) affects the number and frequency of the symptoms a women reports, the frequency of her visits to the primary-care clinic and her perception of her general state of health. The subjects comprised a random sample of 47 women aged 48-53 yr who were judged by their family doctors to be healthy or to be suffering from a chronic disease which was inactive at the time the study was carried out. The women were chosen from among a population of married couples under investigation in a larger study. The sample was homogeneous both ethnically (all subjects born in North Africa) and in terms of social class (lower to lower-middle class). No relationships were found between menopausal phase and any of the health criteria considered. The number and frequency of symptoms was low for all the women. Only a small number of women (2-10%) reported a frequent occurrence even of symptoms that are considered to be direct consequences of hormonal changes. These findings conflict with those deriving from studies of women attending gynaecological clinics, but confirm those of other community (non-clinic) studies. The results of this study bear out the general theoretical conclusion that climacteric symptoms are 'psychological and cultural artifacts' rather than consequences of biological changes.