Satisfacción vital y factores sociodemográficos en mujeres de mediana edad / Life satisfaction and related socio-demographic factors during female midlife

OBJETIVO: El presente estudio investiga el grado de satisfacción vital en mujeres de mediana edad. MÉTODO: Estudio observacional transversal de 235 mujeres de edad comprendida entre 40 y 65 años, domiciliadas en Granada, acompañantes sanas de pacientes asistentes a las consultas de obstetricia y ginecología, que cumplimentaron la Escala de Satisfacción Vital de Diener, la Escala de Puntuación de la Menopausia, la Escala de Estrés Percibido, el Índice de Severidad de Insomnio y un cuestionario sociodemográfico incluyendo datos personales y de la pareja. También se calculó la consistencia interna de cada instrumento. RESULTADOS: El 61,3% de las mujeres eran postmenopáusicas, el 43,8% tenían obesidad abdominal, el 36,6% sufría insomnio, el 18,7% tenía mala calidad de vida relacionada con la menopausia, el 31,9% hacia ejercicio con regularidad, y el 5,1% tenía problemas económicos graves. La satisfacción vital tuvo correlaciones (prueba de Spearman) positivas significativas con la edad femenina y la masculina, y negativas significativas con la calidad de vida relacionada con la menopausia, el estrés percibido y el insomnio. En el análisis de regresión lineal múltiple, la alta satisfacción vital se correlacionó positivamente con tener una pareja que hiciese ejercicio, e inversamente con tener problemas laborales, el grado de estrés percibido y la sospecha de infidelidad de la pareja. Estos factores explican el 40% de la varianza en el análisis de regresión múltiple para la satisfacción vital en mujeres de mediana edad. CONCLUSIÓN: La satisfacción vital es un constructo relacionado con el estrés percibido, los problemas laborales y tener pareja, mientras que los aspectos relacionados con la menopausia y la salud general no tuvieron influencia significativa

OBJECTIVE: To assess life satisfaction and related factors in middle-aged Spanish women. METHOD: This was a cross-sectional study including 235 women aged 40 to 65, living in Granada (Spain), healthy companions of patients visiting the obstetrics and gynecology clinics. They completed the Diener Satisfaction with Life Scale, the Menopause Rating Scale, the Perceived Stress Scale, the Insomnia Severity Index and a sociodemographic questionnaire containing personal and partner data. Internal consistency of each tool was also calculated. RESULTS: Almost two-thirds (61.3%) of the women were postmenopausal, and 43.8% had abdominal obesity, 36.6% had insomnia, 18.7% had poor menopause-related quality of life, 31.9% performed regular exercise, and 5.1% had severe financial problems. Life satisfaction showed significant positive correlations (Spearman's test) with female and male age, and inverse correlations with menopause-related quality of life, perceived stress and insomnia. In the multiple linear regression analysis, high life satisfaction is positively correlated with having a partner who performed exercise, and inversely with having work problems, perceived stress and the suspicion of partner infidelity. These factors explained 40% of the variance of the multiple regression analysis for life satisfaction in middle-aged women. CONCLUSIÓN: Life satisfaction is a construct related to perceived stress, work problems, and having a partner, while aspects of menopause and general health had no significant influence

[Life satisfaction and related socio-demographic factors during female midlife]. / Satisfacción vital y factores sociodemográficos en mujeres de mediana edad.

OBJECTIVE: To assess life satisfaction and related factors in middle-aged Spanish women. METHOD: This was a cross-sectional study including 235 women aged 40 to 65, living in Granada (Spain), healthy companions of patients visiting the obstetrics and gynecology clinics. They completed the Diener Satisfaction with Life Scale, the Menopause Rating Scale, the Perceived Stress Scale, the Insomnia Severity Index and a sociodemographic questionnaire containing personal and partner data. Internal consistency of each tool was also calculated. RESULTS: Almost two-thirds (61.3%) of the women were postmenopausal, and 43.8% had abdominal obesity, 36.6% had insomnia, 18.7% had poor menopause-related quality of life, 31.9% performed regular exercise, and 5.1% had severe financial problems. Life satisfaction showed significant positive correlations (Spearman's test) with female and male age, and inverse correlations with menopause-related quality of life, perceived stress and insomnia. In the multiple linear regression analysis, high life satisfaction is positively correlated with having a partner who performed exercise, and inversely with having work problems, perceived stress and the suspicion of partner infidelity. These factors explained 40% of the variance of the multiple regression analysis for life satisfaction in middle-aged women. CONCLUSION: Life satisfaction is a construct related to perceived stress, work problems, and having a partner, while aspects of menopause and general health had no significant influence.

Assessment of mammographic density in postmenopausal women during long term hormone replacement therapy.

OBJECTIVE: To assess long-term effects of different hormone replacement therapy (HRT) regimens on mammographic density. METHODS: One hundred sixty-five postmenopausal women were treated with the same HRT during 5 years: 38 received transdermal estradiol, 78 cyclic combined therapy and 49 continuous combined therapy. Mammograms were obtained at baseline, at 1-year and 5-year treatment. Breast density changes were categorized as slight focal increased density, considerable focal increased density, slight diffuse increased density and considerable diffuse increased density. RESULTS: Mammographic density increased in 7.9% of women receiving estrogen alone versus 25.2% of women receiving combined therapy (p < 0.022) during 1 year, and in 7.9% of women versus 28.3% of women (p < 0.009) after 5 years of therapy, respectively. There were significant statistical differences in women treated with estrogen alone versus those treated with combined HRT after 1 and 5 years. After 5 years of HRT, breast density increased 21.8% in women receiving cyclic combined therapy versus 38.8% in those under continuous combined therapy (p < 0.039). CONCLUSION: An increase in breast density is significantly more frequent in women receiving combined estrogen-progestin therapy than in women receiving estrogen alone. There are differences between cyclic and continuous combined therapy at 5 years of treatment.

Perceived stress, insomnia and related factors in women around the menopause.

BACKGROUND: Studies assessing perceived stress and insomnia in mid-aged women are scarce. OBJECTIVE: To assess perceived stress, insomnia and related factors in mid-aged Spanish women. METHOD: This was a cross sectional study in which 235 women aged 40-65 completed the Menopause Rating Scale (MRS), the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS), the Insomnia Severity Index (ISI), and a general socio-demographic questionnaire containing personal and partner data. Internal consistency of each tool was also computed. RESULTS: Median [interquartile range] age of the sample was 52 [9.0] years. A 61.3% were postmenopausal, 49.4% had increased body mass index values, 43.8% were abdominally obese, 11.9% had hypertension, and 74.0% had a partner. In addition, 9.8% used hormone therapy and 12.3% psychotropic drugs. Multiple linear regression analysis found that higher PSS scores (more stress) inversely correlated with female age and positively with MRS psychological and urogenital scores (impaired quality of life in these domains), total higher ISI scores (more insomnia) and partner premature ejaculation. Higher ISI scores positively correlated with PSS and MRS somatic scores and partner unfaithfulness, and inversely with female hip circumference. CONCLUSION: In this mid-aged Spanish sample perceived stress and insomnia were significantly correlated and related to various female and partner issues.

Assessing fatal cardiovascular disease risk with the SCORE (Systematic Coronary Risk Evaluation) scale in post-menopausal women 10 years after different hormone treatment regimens.

OBJECTIVE: To assess fatal cardiovascular disease (FCD) risk among women in early post-menopausal years, as evaluated with the Systematic Coronary Risk Evaluation (SCORE) scale. DESIGN: This was a retrospective study of parallel cohorts. Two hundred seventy-three healthy post-menopausal women. Participants received one of the following hormone treatment (HT) regimens: transdermal estradiol (50 microg) (n = 99), sequential cyclic HT with transdermal estradiol (50 microg/day) plus 200 mg/day natural micronised oral progesterone (cycle days 12-25) (n = 63) and combined HT using transdermal estradiol (50 microg) plus 100 mg/day of micronised oral progesterone (n = 61). A group of women who elected not to use HT served as control group (n = 50). SCORE values were assessed before HT or follow up. RESULTS: Only one woman displayed a high-risk SCORE value both before and after 10 years of HT, the remaining had low risk values (<5%) for FCD. After 10 years, SCORE values increased significantly as compared to baseline among HT users (all three regimens) and controls. Although post-treatment SCORE values significantly differed among groups, values were all below the high risk cut-off (5%). There were no FCD events during the 10 year observation period. CONCLUSION: As assessed with the SCORE scale, FCD risk in young post-menopausal women (HT users and controls) had a slight significant increase after 10 years, being values in the low risk range.