Symptoms and problems of menopausal women in Klong Toey slum.

ABSTRACT

This study was conducted to assess the symptoms and problems of postmenopausal Thai women in Klong Toey slum. The interview was randomly performed according to the home number by well-trained social workers and a standardized questionnaire was used. One hundred and nineteen postmenopausal women were eligible for the study. The women were of low socioeconomic and educational background. Their mean age was 58.9 +/- 6.9 years. The mean time since menopause was 7 years. The prevalence of the climacteric symptoms was as follows vasomotor symptoms 72.3 per cent, urological symptoms 80.7 per cent, genital symptoms 87.4 per cent and psychological symptoms 98.3 per cent. However, the prevalence of severe vasomotor, urological, genital and psychological symptoms which these women recognized as problems was 29.4 per cent, 19.3 per cent, 15.1 per cent and 75.6 per cent, respectively. In conclusion, the prevalence of climacteric symptoms of postmenopausal women in Klong Toey slum were high but the symptoms which these women recognized as problems were low. These women probably perceived these symptoms as a natural change of life.