RESUMO
PURPOSE: To extend the understanding on climacteric symptoms, and to improve women's health and the quality of life by providing the basic data relating to the climacteric symptoms of natural menopausal women and artificial menopausal women. METHOD: The subjects of this study were 149 women selected conviniently (89 natural menopausal women and 60 total hystrectomy women) who have visited the climacteric clinic of G. hospital in Inchon, the MENSI questionnaire which was developed by Sarrel (1995)was modified considering Korean culture for the measuring tool of this study with 20 items of question(Cronbach'salpa =.76), duration of data collection with the questionnaire was 5 months from Sept. 1, 2000 to Jan. 30, 2001. Result: Artificial meanopausal women showed statistically significant higher menopausal symptoms than the natural menopausal women in the most of the items, and psychiatric and urogenital symtoms of artificial menopausal women were significantly higher than those of the natural menopausal women. CONCLUSION: Nursing intervention for psychological support upon artificial menopausal women and their spouses is recommended more than natural menpause women.