Relationship between sociodemographic, reproductive, and lifestyle factors and the severity of menopausal symptoms among Egyptian women in Alexandria

Menopausal symptoms in women with premature ovarian insufficiency: prevalence, severity, and associated factors

OBJECTIVE

To comprehensively investigate and evaluate the prevalence, severity, and associated factors of menopausal symptoms in women with premature ovarian insufficiency (POI). In this study, the specific symptomatology experienced by women with POI and women with natural menopause was also compared.

METHODS

In this cross-sectional study, 293 Chinese women with POI from an outpatient clinic were recruited between June 2014 and January 2019. The prevalence and severity of menopausal symptoms were assessed with modified Kupperman Menopausal Index. Participants completed a structured questionnaire, including medical history, menstrual characteristics, and sociodemographic data. Serum levels of reproductive hormones were measured.

RESULTS

Among 293 women with POI (33.76 ± 5.47 y), the most prevalent symptoms were mood swings (73.4%), insomnia (58.7%), sexual problems (58.7%), and fatigue (57.3%). Moderate-to-severe mood swings were most frequently reported (23.9%), followed by formication (17.4%) and hot flashes/sweating (17.1%). Compared with women with natural menopause, women with POI exhibited significantly higher risks for fatigue (odds ratio  = 1.42; 95% confidence interval, 1.04-1.94), melancholia (3.12; 1.94-5.01), mood swings (3.57; 2.33-5.45), insomnia (1.41; 1.02-1.96), and significantly lower risks for moderate-to-severe sexual problems (0.40; 0.23-0.69), any and moderate-to-severe muscle/joint pain (0.41; 0.27-0.62 and 0.45; 0.25-0.78, respectively). Living in urban areas and higher gravidity were independently associated with menopausal symptoms in women with POI.

CONCLUSIONS

Women with POI experienced a high prevalence of menopausal symptoms, particularly related to psychological and sexual domains. Furthermore, women with POI tended to have more distressing menopausal symptoms compared with women with natural menopause.

Individual and additive-effect relationships of sleep problems and severe menopausal symptoms among women in menopausal transition

OBJECTIVE

Sleep problems and menopausal symptoms are both common complaints among midlife women. However, the associations of the quality and quantity of sleep problems with the severity of menopausal symptoms have not been well studied. Thus, this study aims to examine the relationships between individual sleep problems and the additive number of sleep problems with severe menopausal symptoms among women during the menopausal transition.

METHODS

Using the convenience sampling, a total of 848 middle-aged women in China were investigated from December 2017 to August 2018. All participants completed a questionnaire on sleep problems, Menopause Rating Scale, and the general information questionnaire. Based on the cutoff of the Menopause Rating Scale, participants were divided into the nonsevere menopausal symptom group and severe menopausal symptoms group. Propensity score matching was used to balance covariates between the two groups. Stepwise binary logistic regression and restricted cubic spline were applied to analyze the associations of individual and additive sleep problems with severe menopausal symptoms.

RESULTS

After propensity score matching, no significant difference was observed between the nonsevere menopausal symptoms group and severe menopausal symptoms group (Ps > 0.05). Logistic regression analysis showed that five sleep problems ("feeling too hot," "having pain," "restless legs syndrome," "taking medicine to help sleep," and "having trouble staying awake") were closely associated with severe menopausal symptoms. The restricted cubic spline curve showed an upward trend in odds ratios between the number of these five sleep problems and severe menopausal symptoms, and women were more than twice as likely to suffer severe menopausal symptoms when they experienced more than three of these individual sleep problems.

CONCLUSION

Both the individual and additive number of sleep problems exerted significant effects on severe menopausal symptoms. It might be useful for healthcare providers to set guidelines to support a healthy menopausal transition for midlife women.