The Persian Version of Menopause Rating Scale (MRS): A Psychometric Study

The effect of probiotic administration on the severity of menopausal symptoms and mental health of postmenopausal women: a triple-blind randomized controlled trial in the West of Iran

OBJECTIVE

Menopausal symptoms are a reproductive health issue for women. Some studies have suggested that the use of probiotics may alleviate the severity of menopausal symptoms and mental health status. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of probiotic administration on the severity of menopausal symptoms and improve mental health in postmenopausal women in Hamadan, Western Iran.

METHODS

A triple-blind randomized controlled trial was conducted from February 20, 2023, to August 23, 2023, at the Comprehensive Health Service Centers in Hamadan City, Western Iran. Participants were randomized to intervention and control groups. The participants in the intervention group were administered probiotic supplements in 200 mg daily capsules for 6 weeks, and those in the control group received 200 mg daily capsules containing starch powder for 6 weeks. The primary outcomes were measured using the Menopausal Rating Scale and Depression Anxiety and Stress Scale questionnaires at baseline, week 3, and week 6.

RESULTS

A total of 84 women took part in the study, with 42 individuals assigned to each of the intervention and control groups, respectively. The findings indicated no significant differences in baseline characteristics between the study groups ( P > 0.05). The results indicated that the study outcomes changed differently over time between the two groups. The participants in the intervention group exhibited greater improvements in depressive symptoms, anxiety, and stress symptoms, as well as in physical, psychological, and urogenital symptoms at both week 3 and week 6, compared with the control group ( P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

This study provides evidence regarding potential treatment effects of probiotics consumption in alleviating physical and mental symptoms related to menopause. Further multicenter and large-scale clinical trials with longer follow-up are recommended.

Sexual health counseling improves the sexual satisfaction of breast cancer survivors: a randomized controlled trial

PURPOSE

Breast cancer and its treatments can cause sexual problems both physically and psychologically by the changes it brings. This study aimed to investigate the effect of sexual health counseling based on acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) on the sexual satisfaction of women with chemotherapy-induced menopause (CIM) in breast cancer survivors.

METHODS

Seventy women with CIM were randomly divided into two intervention (N = 34) and control (N = 36) groups. The intervention group attended eight sessions of 90-min sexual health counseling based on ACT. The control group received an educational booklet. The Sexual Satisfaction Scale for Women(SSS-W), the Sexual Quality of Life-Female questionnaire(SQOL-F), and the Menopause Rating Scale(MRS) were used to collect data before, after, and 1 month after the intervention in both groups.

RESULTS

The mean score of sexual satisfaction (F = 45.67, P < 0.001) and sexual quality of life (F = 33.39, P < 0.001) were significantly higher after the intervention and follow-up than before intervention in the intervention group. Also, the mean score of menopausal symptoms was significantly lower after the intervention and follow-up than before intervention in the intervention group (F = 11.80, P < 0.001). However, the mean score of sexual satisfaction (F = 0.02, P = 0.98), sexual quality of life (F = 0.05, P = 0.94), and menopausal symptoms (F = 0.08, P = 0.92) did not show significant differences before, after, and 1 month after the intervention in the control group.

CONCLUSIONS

Therefore, sexual health counseling based on ACT seems to have salutary effect on sexual satisfaction, sexual quality of life, and menopausal symptoms of women with breast cancer who experience CIM.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

This randomized control trial has been approved by Iranian Registry of Clinical Trials, IRCT20230105057055N1 at 2023-01-29.

Features, measurements, determinants, treatments, and outcomes of musculoskeletal symptoms in postmenopausal women: A scoping review

BACKGROUND

The literature lacks a consistent review of musculoskeletal symptoms in postmenopausal women.

AIM

To identify features, measurements, determinants, treatments, and outcomes of musculoskeletal symptoms in postmenopausal women.

METHOD

A scoping review was completed using six databases: Embase, Medline, Cochrane, CINAHL, Web of Science, and Scopus up to December 2022. Sixty-three articles were identified.

RESULTS

Musculoskeletal symptoms in postmenopausal women include somatic symptoms of non-specific origin, upper and lower limb symptoms, spinal pain, and decline in physical performance. Measurements were categorized into four groups: musculoskeletal symptoms for menopause, general musculoskeletal symptoms, menopause-specific quality of life, and general quality of life questionnaires. The determinants were grouped into four themes: demographics, physical determinants, psychosocial determinants, and lifestyle. Pharmacological interventions, supplementation options, and exercise regimens exist for postmenopausal women with musculoskeletal symptoms.

CONCLUSION

A comprehensive policy is needed to address musculoskeletal symptoms in postmenopausal women, promoting diverse treatments for improved quality of life.

Psychometric properties and validity of the Menopause Rating Scale in postmenopausal Portuguese women

OBJECTIVE

The aim of the study is to analyze the reliability and validity of the Portuguese version of the Menopause Rating Scale (MRS) among postmenopausal Portuguese women.

METHODS

A total of 184 postmenopausal women completed the Portuguese MRS. Internal consistency and test-retest reliability were studied. Construct, convergent, and concurrent validity were assessed. The 10-item Cervantes Scale and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale were used to determine convergent and concurrent validity, respectively. The ability and accuracy of the Portuguese MRS to discriminate between women with and without anxiety and depression cases were evaluated, and a receiver operating characteristic curve analysis was used.

RESULTS

The Portuguese MRS showed an appropriate level of internal consistency (Cronbach α, 0.84 for MRS total score) and test-retest reliability (MRS total score; intraclass correlation coefficient, 0.92; 95% confidence interval, 0.85-0.96). Factor analysis (construct validity) revealed a 3-factor structure (explained variance of 62.08%). The MRS total score and its 3 factors showed good convergent (10-item Cervantes Scale) and concurrent (Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale anxiety and depression) validity (all P < 0.001). The Portuguese MRS total score was significantly able to discriminate between postmenopausal women with and without anxiety (P < 0.001) and depression (P = 0.001), with a cutoff point of 15.50 (80.00% sensitivity and 63.70% specificity) for detecting depression and a cutoff point of 16.50 (82.35% sensitivity and 78.57% specificity) for identifying anxiety.

CONCLUSIONS

The Portuguese MRS has been shown to be a valid and reliable questionnaire for assessing the severity of menopausal symptoms and discriminating among postmenopausal women with and without anxiety and depression.

Online assessment of the perception of loneliness and associated factors in Colombian climacteric women during the COVID-19 pandemic: A cross-sectional study

Background: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has generated changes due to confinement, this measure can increase the perception of loneliness. The objective was to estimate the frequencies of emotional, social and general loneliness and their association with fear and anxiety with COVID-19, religiosity and severe deterioration of quality of life in middle-aged women. Methods: A cross-sectional study in Colombian women (40-59 y, n=984) surveyed with an electronic form that included sociodemographic characteristics and validated measures (Menopause Rating Scale, de Jong Gierveld Loneliness Scale, fear of COVID-19 scale, Coronavirus Anxiety Scale and Francis Scale for Religiosity). Associations of emotional, social and general loneliness (dependent variables) with severe somatic, psychological, urogenital and quality of life deterioration, as well as with high religiosity, anxiety and high fear of COVID-19 (independent variables), were estimated. Results: The median age was 47 years old, and 39.2% [95% CI: 36.2-42.3] postmenopausal. Severe deterioration in somatic, psychological, urogenital domains and quality of life in women with emotional, social and general loneliness was found (P <0.001). In adjusted models, high fear of COVID-19, severe deterioration of psychological and urogenital domains and quality of life were associated with emotional, social and general loneliness. Anxiety with COVID-19, somatic domain and high religiosity were not associated with loneliness. Conclusion: Emotional, social and general loneliness were identified in 4/10 middle-aged Colombian women surveyed, and the associated factors were high fear of COVID-19, severe deterioration of quality of life and psychological and urogenital domains. Professionals who care for climacteric women should explore the perception of loneliness when assessing menopausal symptoms.

An Interventional strategy of physical activity promotion for reduction of menopause symptoms

Background: Physical activity (PA) programs are inexpensive, non-pharmaceutical and universally accessible options with demonstrated efficacy in reducing menopausal symptoms. The purpose of this study was to determine the effectiveness of a behavioral strategy for initiating and sustaining PA with the hope to reduce or eliminate menopausal symptoms.

Methods : Menopausal and perimenopausal women (n=190) were randomly assigned to intervention (n=95) and non-intervention (n=95) groups using a random-numbers table. The intervention group consisted of 18 neighborhood network subgroups, each consisting of five to six women known to one another. They participated in a 12-week regular PA program, augmented by eight interactive group education and discussion sessions. The Menopause Rating Scale (MRS) self-report instrument was used to determine perceived severity of menopausal symptoms.

Results: The intervention group showed a significant reduction in the frequency and severity of menopausal symptoms (P < 0.001). Those whose symptoms rated severe/very severe for hot flushes were reduced from 30.1% to 11.8%. Also, participants whose sleep problems and joint discomfort rated severe/very severe declined from 28% to 6.5% and joint discomfort rated severe or very severe was reduced from 52.7% to 4.4%, respectively. Conversely in the nonintervention group, hot flushes, sleep problems and joint problems got significantly worse(P < 0.05).

Conclusion: Implementing educational program that increases awareness of PA benefits in combination with existing neighborhood networks that facilitate communication and cooperation may increase PA levels and decrease menopausal symptoms. Such networks offer alow-cost means of improving quality of life (QOL) for perimenopausal and menopausal women.