Menopausal symptoms and quality of life in women above 40 years in an urban resettlement colony of East Delhi

ABSTRACT

Background: Awareness of menopausal symptoms and their effects on the quality of life is extremely important for better management of symptoms. Objectives: The objectives of this study was to assess the prevalence of menopausal symptoms and its effect on the quality of life in women >40 years and determine the association of sociodemographic, obstetric, and other factors with menopause. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted in 105 women aged 40 years and above residing in an urban resettlement colony of Delhi. An interviewer-administered questionnaire was used to obtain information about sociodemographic and menstrual history. Quality of life related to menopause and its symptoms were measured using the menopause-specific quality of life questionnaire. Statistical analysis was done using SPSS 20.0. Results: Majority of the participants were married (70%), literate (50.5%), unemployed (92.4%), and belonged to upper-lower socioeconomic class (65.7%). The most prevalent symptom was decrease in physical strength in 85.7% of women. The prevalence (89%) and mean score of botheration (3.05 ± 0.917) for physical domain of symptoms was highest and it was significantly associated with the age of subjects and attainment of menopause (P < 0.05). Psychosocial domain was also significantly affected by the age of participants. Sexual domain of symptoms was least prevalent (11%) and had the least mean score of botheration (1.38 ± 1.134). Mean age of menopause was 44.6 years. Awareness regarding menopause was poor (1.9%). Conclusions: Physical symptoms are the most prevalent. Both physical and psychosocial symptoms are associated with age of participants, while only physical symptoms are associated with menopause attainment. The awareness of menopausal symptoms was very poor in the participants.