Menopausal symptoms and related factors among Cambodian women

Determination of the association between aging anxiety and menopausal symptoms in middle-aged women

OBJECTIVES

This study was conducted to determine the association between aging anxiety and menopausal symptoms.

METHODS

The study was descriptive and cross-sectional, conducted with women between the ages of 40 and 59 who actively use internet social media (WhatsApp, Instagram, Facebook, etc). The Personal Information Form, Menopause Symptoms Rating Scale (Menopause Rating Scale), and Aging Anxiety Scale for Middle-Aged Women were used to collect the data.

RESULTS

In the study, a statistically significant positive correlation was found between women's aging anxiety and menopausal symptoms (P < 0.05, r = 0.659). It was determined that there is an association between the effect of aging anxiety and menopausal symptoms (B = 0.38, P < 0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

In the study, it was found that there was an association between menopausal symptoms and aging anxiety. However, the direction of the association is unknown. Therefore, it is recommended that health professionals address menopausal symptoms and aging anxiety together.

Menopause-specific quality of life and attitude towards menopause among a group of postmenopausal women living in the city of Kolkata, India

We attempted to assess Menopause-Specific Quality of Life (MENQOL) and attitude towards menopause with respect to 'years after menopause' and also association between MENQOL and attitude towards menopause. One hundred and eighty-two Bengali Hindu postmenopausal women (aged 42 to 65 years) living in Kolkata, India participated in the study. Data on socio-demographic, reproductive characteristics, MENQOL, and attitude towards menopause were collected. Results revealed that botheration with symptoms related to vasomotor and sexual domains remained significantly higher among the participants within 3 years after menopause, while botheration with symptoms related to physical and psychosocial domains and the impairment in MENQOL were likely to increase with increase in 'years after menopause'. Participants who attained menopause less than 3 years ago had positive attitude towards menopause than that of those who attained menopause more than 3 years ago. Hierarchical linear regression suggested that score of attitude towards menopause was inversely associated with symptoms related to psychosocial domain, but was positively associated with educational levels and occupational types of the participants. We conclude that Bengali Hindu postmenopausal women reported impaired MENQOL and developed negative attitude towards menopause with increase in 'years after menopause'. After controlling the confounders, only psychosocial domain showed strong association with attitude towards menopause.

Non-hormonal pharmacological interventions for managing vasomotor symptoms-how can we help: 2024 landscape

BACKGROUND

Vasomotor symptoms (VMS) affect 70% of menopausal women and are considered as hallmark symptoms of the menopausal transition experienced by over three quarters of women and severely by 25% of women. Estrogen withdrawal alone is not fully responsible for the onset of the menopausal vasomotor symptoms and the mechanism of altered thermoregulation appears to be centrally mediated with alterations in hypothalamic neurotransmitters playing a key part. The loss of thermoregulatory control coexists with the altered Kisspeptin- Neurokinin B-Dynorphin-expressing (KNDy) neurons of the arcuate nucleus signaling triggered by menopause.

OBJECTIVE

Aim of the review was to explore evidence-based non-hormonal pharmacological interventions for treating vasomotor symptoms.

METHODS

Comprehensive overview of relevant literature.

CONCLUSIONS

In the population where, hormonal options are contraindicated or not preferred by the patient, it is essential to explore evidence-based non-hormonal pharmacological interventions for treating vasomotor symptoms. The 2024 landscape of available treatments has expanded yet again, arming the providers with an even wider range of possibilities to help their patients. Fezolinetant, is the first NK3R antagonist developed for the purpose of treating hot flashes in menopausal women. NK3R antagonists provide a safe and effective treatment option for managing menopausal women with VMS.

Menopausal symptoms and utilization of menopausal hormone therapy among women aged 40-60 years in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia: a cross-sectional study

BACKGROUND

The onset of menopause leads to diminished estrogen exposure, resulting in a high morbidity burden related to menopausal symptoms. Menopausal hormonal therapy is an effective therapy that offers more advantages than disadvantages for women aged less than 60 years or who have had menopause for less than 10 years.

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to assess the prevalence of menopausal symptoms, identify factors associated with menopausal symptoms, and assess the use of menopausal hormone therapy among women aged 40-60 who visited the gynecological clinics of three hospitals in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

METHODS

A facility-based cross-sectional study was conducted from January 2022 to June 2022 at Gandhi Memorial Hospital, Tikur Anbessa Hospital, and Zewditu Memorial Hospital on 296 middle-aged women. Data were collected using an interviewer-administered structured questionnaire and analyzed for sociodemographic factors, utilization of menopausal hormone therapy, and prevalence of menopausal symptoms using the menopause rating scale. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 25. Bivariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed to identify independent predictors of each subscale of menopausal symptoms. The strength of the association was measured using odds ratios with 95% confidence intervals, and statistical significance was set at a value of P < 0.05.

RESULT

The prevalence of menopausal symptoms was 89.9%. According to the menopausal rating scale, the frequency of reported symptoms was hot flushes (54.7%), muscle and joint pain (32.1%) on the somatic subscale; physical and mental exhaustion (55.1%), irritability (48.6%) on psychological subscale; and sexual problems (41.3%), bladder problems (39.2%) on urogenital subscale. This study also showed that the age of women [aOR: 0.317, 95%CI (0.102, 0.990)], and monthly family income [aOR = 0.182, 95% CI (0.041, 0.912)] were significantly associated with somatic menopausal symptoms. There was no utilization of menopausal hormonal therapy to treat menopausal symptoms and to prevent complications.

CONCLUSION

The prevalence of menopausal symptoms is high; however, the utilization of individualized administration of menopausal hormone therapy according to symptoms is negligible. It appears essential for these institutions to work on service availability and delivery of menopausal hormone therapy for those in need of wider benefits for their clients.

Development of the Menopause Perception Scale

OBJECTIVE

How women perceive menopause depends on how well they go through that period of time. However, there is no measure that can be used to assess how women perceive menopause. Therefore, we developed a valid and reliable scale (Menopause Perception Scale [MPS]) to assess how women perceive menopause.

METHODS

This methodological research was conducted in three stages. First, we developed items and assessed their content validity. Second, we collected data from 470 women. Third, we assessed the scale for validity and reliability. Exploratory factor analysis and confirmatory factor analysis were used for construct validity. Cronbach's α was calculated for reliability. Pearson's correlation coefficient was used for criterion validity. Mean comparison tests were performed for known-groups validity.

RESULTS

The MPS had a content validity index of 0.90. It had a Kaiser-Meier-Olkin score of 0.768, for which Bartlett's test of sphericity was significant (1,778.047; P < 0.001). The values were acceptable. The exploratory factor analysis yielded an 18-item structure with factor loads greater than 0.40. It also revealed a four-factor model (acceptance, perceived sexuality, normalization, and perceived support) confirmed by the confirmatory factor analysis. The fit indexes were acceptable. The model explained 56.64% of the total variance. The internal consistency was acceptable (Cronbach's α = 0.824). There were positive correlations between the scale and its subscales. Furthermore, the MPS was significantly correlated with the Menopause Attitude Assessment Scale ( r = 0.334, P < 0.001) and the Menopause Rating Scale ( r = -0.286, P < 0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

The MPS is a valid, reliable, user-friendly, and practical self-report measure with satisfactory psychometric properties. Researchers should conduct cross-cultural studies to adapt it to other cultures.

The association of sociodemographic factors and history of chronic diseases on menopausal symptoms: A cross-sectional study

Background

Menopausal symptoms are very diverse in terms of prevalence and severity, and this difference is due to various factors such as psychological factors, sociocultural status, lifestyle, geographical location, and other factors. This study aimed to assess the prevalence of menopausal symptoms and evaluate the predictive factors related to the prevalence and severity of menopausal symptoms.

Materials and Methods

This was a cross-sectional analytical study that was performed on 214 women aged 35-65 years old who were referred to Alzahra Educational, Research and Treatment Center in Rasht, Iran. The data collection tool was a valid and reliable questionnaire, using the list of menopausal symptoms and a checklist of subjects' general characteristics.

Results

16.8% of postmenopausal women in our study had at least one menopausal symptom. Using multiple linear regression, race (p = 0.02), history of chronic diseases (p = 0.04), place of residence (p = 0.02), and marital satisfaction (p = 0.02) were associated with menopausal symptoms. Nineteen percent of the covariates related to the logistics function were explained by the predictor variables in the model.

Conclusion

Evaluation of menopausal symptoms showed that the severity of menopausal symptoms was related to factors such as body mass index (BMI), ethnicity, place of residence, marital satisfaction, and history of chronic diseases, and need to address BMI, psychological issues, and chronic illness.

Relationship Between Menopausal Symptoms, Cancer Screening Behaviors, and Religion Attitudes of Women in the Climacteric Period: A Cross-Sectional Study

BACKGROUND

Although it is known that religion is used to cope with health problems, there is a lack of information about the effect of religion on menopausal symptoms and cancer screening attitudes of climacteric women.

AIM

This study was conducted to determine the relationship between the religious attitudes of women in the climacteric period and their attitudes toward menopausal symptoms and cancer screening.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

This was a cross-sectional study of 381 women in the climacteric period in the Central Anatolia region of Türkiye. Data collection form, the Menopause Rating Scale (MRS), OK-Religious Attitude Scale (ORAS), and attitude for cancer screening (short form) (ASCS) were used to collect data. Correlation analysis assessed the relationship between MRS, ORAS, and ASCS.

RESULTS

There was a low positive correlation between women's ORAS mean score (35.19 ± 4.80) and MRS mean score (12.68 ± 7.24) (r = 0.284, P < 0.001). There was no statistically significant relationship between the mean ORAS scores of the women and the mean ASCS scores (64.59 ± 10.47) (r = 0.089, P > 0.05).

CONCLUSION

Women who experienced more severe menopausal symptoms had stronger religious attitudes. Women's religious attitudes did not affect their attitudes toward cancer screening. It is therefore recommended that health professionals organize counseling and training activities to protect and improve the health of menopausal women and increase their participation in screening and treatment programs.

Obstetric and psychiatric history as predictors for psychosomatic symptoms among Korean perimenopausal women

OBJECTIVES

Menopause presents various physical and psychological disturbances for women and comes at a high financial cost. Therefore, this study aimed to identify factors influencing menopause symptoms.

STUDY DESIGN

Data of Korean perimenopausal women aged 40-60 (n = 1060; mean age, 46.03 ± 4.08) were collected by a research company. Participants were classified into a "functional" group (n = 716) or a "dysfunctional" group (n = 344) according to the severity of their perimenopausal psychosomatic symptoms. To investigate the association of obstetric and psychiatric history with membership of the "dysfunctional" group, a hierarchical logistic regression analysis was conducted.

RESULTS

The outcomes of all three hierarchical logistic regression models presented significant overall model fit. Among the independent variables, family history of menopausal symptoms, menarcheal age, number of pregnancies, history of postpartum depression, postpartum psychosis, and other psychiatric disorders were positively associated with being in the "dysfunctional" group, whereas age and number of deliveries were negatively associated with being in the "dysfunctional" group.

CONCLUSION

A short reproductive period and short exposure to estrogen due to late menarche and early menopausal transition may be related to severe perimenopausal symptoms. The relationship between the history of postpartum mental illness and severe perimenopausal symptoms may be associated with heightened sensitivity to hormonal triggers when a woman is exposed to fluctuating ovarian sex steroid levels. The relationship between parity or gravidity and the severity of menopausal symptoms in Korean women differed from that in studies conducted in other countries, possibly due to the low birth rate in Korea.

Prevalence of menopausal symptoms and attitudes towards menopausal hormone therapy in women aged 40-60 years: a cross-sectional study

BACKGROUND

Menopause is a specific physical and psychological transition period for women, during which they experience a series of menopausal symptoms. Menopausal hormone therapy is an important treatment for improving menopausal symptoms. Helping women correctly understand menopausal hormone therapy is a prerequisite for increasing the acceptance and utilization of menopausal hormone therapy by women. Physical examinations are an important method for women to master their own health status and detect potential health problems, and in recent years, an increasing number of women have actively participated in physical examinations. Therefore, this study aims to comprehend the prevalence of menopausal symptoms and attitudes towards menopausal hormone therapy among women aged 40-60 who underwent physical examinations, which would provide a useful reference to reduce the prevalence of menopausal symptoms and improve acceptance of menopausal hormone therapy.

METHODS

This cross-sectional study was conducted at the Health Management Centre of the Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University in Luzhou City, Sichuan Province. The data were collected from 295 women aged between 40 and 60 using convenience sampling. Information on all participants was collected through face-to-face interviews. Participants completed a demographic questionnaire and an attitude towards menopausal hormone therapy questionnaire, and the modified Kupperman index was used to assess the prevalence and severity of participants' menopausal symptoms. The collected data were processed using SPSS and Excel software and analysed using descriptive statistics and logistic regression.

RESULTS

The top 5 menopausal symptoms were insomnia, fatigue, bone and joint pain, sexual dysfunction and emotional instability. Multiple linear regression analysis showed that residence, sexual intercourse frequency, mentality, and physical exercise were the influencing factors of menopausal symptoms. The study showed that 77% of women said they were still reluctant to receive menopausal hormone therapy after experiencing menopause-related symptoms. The main source of menopausal hormone therapy-related knowledge among women was from surrounding menopausal women (62%), and 54% wanted to gain menopausal hormone therapy-related knowledge through a web-based approach.

CONCLUSION

The incidence of menopausal symptoms is higher in women aged 40-60 years, which is related to women's mentality, exercise, and sexual intercourse frequency. In addition, the results of this study indicate that women's knowledge of menopausal hormone therapy is insufficient, which suggests that we need to strengthen health education to improve the acceptance rate of menopausal hormone therapy.

The relationship between physical activity and the severity of menopausal symptoms: a cross-sectional study

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the relationship between physical activity and the severity of menopausal symptoms in middle-aged women in northwest China.

METHODS

This was a cross-sectional online survey study. Using a snowball sampling method, 468 women aged 45 to 60 were recruited from northwest China and their demographic information was collected. The modified Kupperman Menopausal Index scale and International Physical Activity Questionnaire short form were used in this study. Random forest was used to rank the importance of variables and select the optimal combination. The direction and relative risk (odds ratio value) of selected variables were further explained with an ordinal logistic regression model.

RESULTS

The prevalence of menopausal syndromes was 74.8% and more than one-half of the participants had moderate or severe symptoms (54.3%). The Mantel-Haenszel linear-by-linear chi-square test showed a strong and negative correlation between physical activity level and the severity of menopausal symptoms (P < 0.001). Random forest demonstrated that the physical activity level was the most significant variable associated with the severity of menopausal symptoms. Multiple random forest regressions showed that the out-of-bag error rate reaches the minimum when the top 4 variables (physical activity level, menopausal status, perceived health status, and parity) in the importance ranking form an optimal variable combination. Ordinal logistic regression analysis showed that a higher physical activity level and a satisfactory perceived health status might be protective factors for menopausal symptoms (odds ratio (OR) < 1, P < 0.001); whereas perimenopausal or postmenopausal status and 2 parities might be risk factors for menopausal symptoms (OR > 1, P < 0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

There is a strong negative correlation between physical activity and the severity of menopausal symptoms. The results have a clinical implication that the menopausal symptoms may be improved by the moderate-to-high level physical activity in the lives of middle-aged women.

Urban-rural differences in epidemiology and risk factors of menopause syndrome in middle-aged Chinese women

OBJECTIVE

To compare the prevalence and severity of menopausal symptoms and investigate their associated factors among rural and urban middle-aged Chinese women.

METHODS

A descriptive, cross-sectional study of 4,580 urban and 2,729 rural randomly sampled participants aged 40 to 55 years in Gansu Province, China, was conducted. Questionnaires assessing the sociodemographic information and menstrual and reproductive histories of the participants were administered. The modified Kupperman scale was used to assess the presence and severity of menopausal symptoms. Binary and ordinal logistic regression analyses were performed to identify factors associated with the occurrence and severity of menopausal syndrome, respectively, according to the modified Kupperman Menopausal Index score rank.

RESULTS

The natural menopausal age of the rural women was significantly lower than that of the urban women (rural: 47.22, urban: 47.98; P < 0.05). Furthermore, rural women had a higher prevalence (rural: 56.35%, urban: 43.47%) and severity (rural: 11.40%, urban: 6.61%) of menopausal syndrome than the urban women ( P < 0.05). For both the urban and rural women, the prevalence and severity of most menopausal symptoms increased as menopause progressed. The three most prevalent symptoms in both the urban and rural women were fatigue (rural: 70.43%, urban: 68.19%), muscle/joint pain (rural: 62.84%, urban: 59.32%), and vertigo (rural: 57.42%, urban: 47.44%). Positive associations between menopausal symptoms and age, residence, body mass index, level of education, time of pregnancy, menstrual cycle, and presence of chronic diseases were observed.

CONCLUSIONS

Rural women experience more frequent and severe menopausal syndrome than do urban women.

Longitudinal associations between sleep quality and menopausal symptoms among community-dwelling climacteric women: A multi-centered study

STUDY OBJECTIVES

Menopausal symptoms exist in most climacteric women, which can harm the quality and satisfaction of life for them. Moreover, a series of ineluctable negative life changes experienced in middle-age usually make the situation more complicated and stressful. We aimed to determine the trajectories and influential factors of sleep quality and menopausal symptoms and their longitudinal interrelationships among climacteric women.

METHODS

A total of 1875 community-dwelling climacteric women were included in this study. The Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) and the Menopause Rating Scale (MRS) were adopted to assess sleep quality and menopausal symptoms, respectively. Data were collected 4 times from March 2019 to December 2019, at a 3-month interval.

RESULTS

The Cross-lagged analysis showed that worse sleep quality and more severe menopausal symptoms over time after controlling for specified covariates, and more severe menopausal symptoms were predicted by declined sleep quality. The Generalized estimation equation model showed that education level, marital status, chronic diseases, life events, income, and age were the influential factors of sleep quality, while menopausal symptoms were impacted by marital status and income.

CONCLUSIONS

Increasing negative sleep quality and more severe menopausal symptoms over time contribute to the health burden of climacteric women. Menopausal symptoms could be alleviated by sleep quality improvement, which is influenced by education level, marital status, chronic diseases, life events, age, and economic factors.

Effects of Obesity on Severity of Menopausal Symptoms in Urban and Rural Women

Background

According to the WHO, obesity is an epidemic and is quantified by obesity indices. Menopause is a crucial period with a tendency toward weight gain and has profound implications on the morbidity and mortality of women. This study provides a greater insight into the aggravating adverse effects of obesity on the lifestyles of urban and rural women during their menopausal phase. Hence, this cross-sectional study aims at analyzing the effects of obesity indices on the severity of menopausal symptoms in urban and rural women.

Objectives

1. To compare the obesity indices in rural and urban women and to study the severity of menopausal symptoms in them. 2. To assess the influence of the area and body mass index (BMI) on menopausal symptoms.

Materials and Methods

This cross-sectional study comprised 120 women, of which 60 healthy women volunteers between the age group of 40 and 55 years from the urban area and 60 age-matched healthy women volunteers from the rural area were recruited. The sample size was calculated based on stratified random sampling. After obtaining informed consent anthropometric measurements were recorded and the Menopausal Rating Scale was used for assessing the severity of menopausal symptoms.

Results

A positive correlation was observed between the severity of menopausal symptoms and BMI as well as waist circumference in urban women. The problems related to menopausal symptoms were milder in rural women.

Conclusions

Our study concludes that obesity worsens the severity of several menopausal symptoms which is greater among obese urban women owing to the urban lifestyle and increased stress levels.

Vitamin D levels and menopause-related symptoms in postmenopausal women

Background

Menopause is an important period in women’s life. It is characterized by many symptoms that affect women’s quality of life. This study aimed to the evaluation of the relation between vitamin D levels and menopause-related symptoms. 

Results

Vitamin D insufficiency was noted in 52.4% of the studied population. There was no statistically significant difference in any of the menopausal rating scale dimensions, psychological symptoms (p = 0.16), somato-vegetative symptoms (p = 0.45), or urogenital symptoms (p = 0.59), between vitamin D sufficient and insufficient groups. The severity of the menopausal symptoms was affected by the presence of medical illness (p < 0.001).

Conclusion

Vitamin D deficiency is an alarming issue among postmenopausal women. It was not associated with menopause-related symptoms.

Effects of yoga on menopausal symptoms and sleep quality across menopause statuses: A randomized controlled trial

This randomized controlled trial investigated the effects of yoga on menopausal symptoms and sleep quality across menopause statuses. Participants were randomly assigned to either the intervention or control group (n = 104 each), and those in the intervention group practiced yoga for 20 weeks. The participants completed the following questionnaires: the Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale; Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support; Menopause Rating Scale; and Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index. The results revealed that yoga effectively decreased menopausal symptoms, with the strongest effects noted in postmenopausal women (mean ± standard deviation: 14.98 ± 7.10), followed by perimenopausal women (6.11 ± 2.07). Yoga significantly improved sleep quality in postmenopausal and perimenopausal women after controlling for social support, depression, anxiety, stress, and menopausal symptoms (p < 0.001). However, yoga did not affect sleep quality in premenopausal women. Overall sleep quality significantly improved in postmenopausal and perimenopausal women. Our data indicate that yoga can help decrease menopausal symptoms, particularly in perimenopausal and postmenopausal women, and improve their health.

The association between reproductive history and menopausal symptoms: an evidence from the cross-sectional survey

BACKGROUND

During menopause, women experience annoying symptoms which may affect their daily activities and quality of life. This study aimed to determine whether reproductive history, an important indicator of estrogen exposure across the lifetime, is associated with the severity of menopausal symptoms in women.

METHODS

This study was a cross-sectional study conducted on 214 women aged 35-65 who were randomly selected, and data was collected by a predesigned structured questionnaire. Each item was graded by subjects and a total score was obtained by summing all subscale scores.

RESULTS

There was a significant association between the somatic, psychological, and urogenital menopausal symptoms and reproductive characteristics. Women with a history of abortion had greater total (β = 0.194, p = 0.009), and psychological (β = 0.230, p = 0.002) symptoms score. Women with higher number of children were more likely to have higher somatic (β = 0.212, p = 0.005) symptoms than others.

CONCLUSIONS

Our findings showed reproductive factors may have an influence on the severity of menopausal symptoms. After confirmation by further studies, these findings may help target women at risk of more severe menopausal symptoms at later ages.

Correlates of palpitations during menopause: A scoping review

OBJECTIVE

Palpitations during peri- and post-menopause are common. It is unclear what variables are related to palpitations in peri- and post-menopausal women. The purpose of this scoping review was to summarize potential correlates of palpitations in women transitioning through menopause.

METHODS

The review followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR). Authors included English-language, full-length, peer-reviewed, cross-sectional research articles on palpitations in menopausal women published through December 18, 2021, from PubMed, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL), and PsycINFO searches. Following de-duplication, screening of titles and abstracts, and review of full-texts, independent reviewers extracted data on variables studied in relationship to palpitations from 84 articles and resolved discrepancies. Authors extracted data on (1) demographic, clinical, biomarker, and symptom/quality of life variables and (2) data analysis method (bivariate, multivariate). Authors classified each variable as a likely, unlikely, or unclear correlate of palpitations.

RESULTS

Articles were diverse in region of origin, sample sizes, and variables assessed in relationship to palpitations. Evidence for any one variable was sparse. Likely correlates of palpitations included race/ethnicity, lower physical activity, worse vasomotor symptoms (VMSs), worse sleep, and worse quality of life. Unlikely correlates included age, employment, education, marital status, socioeconomic status, comorbidities, body mass index, and sexual difficulties. Unclear correlates due to equivocal evidence were menopausal status, smoking, and depression. Unclear correlates due to insufficient evidence (less than three articles) included all of the assessed biomarkers, anxiety, and stress.

CONCLUSION

Likely correlates were identified including race/ethnicity, physical activity, VMS, sleep, and quality of life. However, additional research is needed to better understand potential correlates of palpitations.

Identifying the different subtypes in menopausal symptoms among middle-aged women in China: a latent class analysis

OBJECTIVE

Many studies have focused on the severity and prevalence of menopausal symptoms among middle-aged women, which are limited by heterogeneity and diversity of subtypes. Subtyping facilitates the adaptation to prevention and clinical intervention strategies that target women. To determine the existence of significant subgroups of women with similar menopausal symptoms, a person-centered approach was used to identify potential profiles of women during the menopausal transition. In addition, we aimed to examine the association between latent subtypes and individual factors.

METHODS

This cross-sectional study included 797 middle-aged women, aged 40 to 60 years, who were recruited from Shandong Province, China, between December 2017 and August 2018. We identified the subtypes in menopausal symptoms by performing a latent class analysis according to the self-reported Menopause Rating Scale and evaluated the robustness of our identified subtypes using a sensitivity analysis. Multinomial logistic regression was performed to explore the association between emergent latent subtypes and sociodemographic, clinical, and psychosocial characteristics.

RESULTS

The mean age of participants was 49.83 ± 5.05 years. (1) Four potential classes were identified in middle-aged women: "severe symptoms" (14.9%), "dominant sleep-emotion symptoms" (31.4%), "physical/mental exhaustion symptoms" (32.5%), and "no symptoms" (21.2%). The four classes were also verified using a sensitivity analysis according to age and menopause status subgroups, which revealed the robust subtypes of menopausal symptoms. (2) The odds ratio of neuroticism, chronic diseases, and gynecological diseases were significantly higher for the "severe symptoms," "dominant sleep-emotion symptoms," and "physical/mental exhaustion symptoms" classes, compared to the "no symptoms" class, while the odds ratio of mindfulness and social support were lower.

CONCLUSIONS

A person-centered approach for middle-aged women could address the unmet need to understand the heterogeneity of menopausal symptoms. Subtyping facilitates the identification of the potential causes of menopausal symptoms and the development of personalized interventions.

Using a short questionnaire of the perimenopausal fatigue scale to evaluate perimenopausal women prone to fatigue syndrome

OBJECTIVE

Fatigue, a painful and unpleasant subjective experience, is common in perimenopausal women. Therefore, an effective tool to evaluate the fatigue-precipitating factor is important for perimenopausal women prone to fatigue syndrome.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

This study was surveyed by short-term perimenopausal fatigue scale. The enrollment period was from November 2019 to January 2020. The subjects were perimenopausal women prone to perimenopausal fatigue. The differences between the fatigue-precipitating factors and the degrees of fatigue and disturbance were determined by one-way ANOVA and t test.

RESULTS

A total of 220 perimenopausal women with mean age of 51.3 years were included. Among these, 64.1% did not have a habit of regular exercise and 55.5% had chronic diseases. Fatigue syndrome was found in 64.1% of subjects, who were mainly presented by shoulder and neck pain and sleep problems. There were significant differences between "perimenopausal fatigue" and "duration" (p < 0.001); "with and without regular exercise" (p = 0.05); and "with and without chronic diseases" (p = 0.03).

CONCLUSIONS

Our study showed the perimenopausal fatigue syndrome is more frequently found in perimenopausal women who have a co-morbidity (chronic illness) and do not have a habit of regular exercise. An early identification and prompt intervention may help perimenopausal women to deal with their fatigue syndrome. The short questionnaire perimenopausal fatigue scale seems to be useful for screening perimenopausal women prone to fatigue syndrome.

Review of menopausal palpitations measures

Palpitations are reported commonly by women around the time of menopause as skipped, missed, irregular, and/or exaggerated heartbeats or heart pounding. However, much less is known about palpitations than other menopausal symptoms such as vasomotor symptoms. The objective of this review was to integrate evidence on menopausal palpitations measures. Keyword searching was done in PubMed, CINAHL, and PsycINFO for English-language, descriptive articles containing data on menopause and palpitations and meeting other pre-specified inclusion criteria. Of 670 articles, 110 met inclusion criteria and were included in the review. Results showed that 11 different measures were used across articles, with variability within and between measures. Inconsistencies in the wording of measurement items, recall periods, and response options were observed even when standardized measures were used. Most measures were limited to assessing symptom presence and severity. Findings suggest that efforts should be undertaken to (1) standardize conceptual and operational definitions of menopausal palpitations and (2) develop a patient-friendly, conceptually clear, psychometrically sound measure of menopausal palpitations.

High Physical Activity Level May Reduce Menopausal Symptoms

Background and Objectives: Menopause is a normal physiological change occurring at a woman's mid-life. During this time, women experience vasomotor, physical and physiological problems, which reduce their quality of life. Many women are searching for different, alternative methods to reduce the severity of menopausal symptoms. Physical activity (PA) is one of the recommended methods to reduce menopausal symptoms. The purpose of this study was to investigate the association between specific domains (physical activity during leisure time, at work, during transportation and household activities) and the menopausal symptoms. Materials and Methods: We included 305 women aged 40-65 in the study. All participants were divided into three groups according to menopausal status. The research tools used were the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ) to assess physical activity level in four domains and the Menopause Rating Scale (MRS) to assess the severity of menopausal symptoms. The data analysis was performed by Chi-square test and analysis of variance (ANOVA) with post hoc Tuckey test. Results: Menopausal stage was significantly associated with the total MRS score (p < 0.001) and specifically the urogenital and somato-vegetative subscores (p < 0.001). Physical activity was significantly associated (p < 0.001) with leisure time (according to IPAQ domains). Most postmenopausal women had high PA level (59.66%). Significantly less women with high PA levels had severe urogenital symptoms: 10.82% of participant with a low PA level, 11.15% with a moderate PA level and 4.26% with a high PA level (p = 0.046). Conclusions: Physical activity during leisure time is associated to menopausal symptoms in Polish women. Women with high and moderate PA levels have less severe menopausal symptoms compared to inactive women. Middle-aged women with low PA levels at work suffer from more severe somato-vegetative symptoms.