A mixed method study on menopause-related quality of life and health-seeking behavior in urban Telangana, India

Sai Madhuri Rangaraju; Nirupama A. Y.; S. T. P. Lakshmi Prasanna

doi:10.18203/2320-1770.ijrcog20242806

Authors

Sai Madhuri Rangaraju Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, Indian Institute of Public Health, Hyderabad, Telangana, India
Nirupama A. Y. Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, Indian Institute of Public Health, Hyderabad, Telangana, India
S. T. P. Lakshmi Prasanna Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, Indian Institute of Public Health, Hyderabad, Telangana, India

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.18203/2320-1770.ijrcog20242806

Keywords:

Menopause, Perimenopause, Quality of life, Kruskal Wallis

Abstract

Background: Perimenopause is the body's natural transition to menopause, signaling the end of the reproductive years. Changes in a woman's menstrual cycle, vasomotor changes, psychological changes, and vaginal health and sexuality are all symptoms of menopause. This study's objectives are to describe perimenopausal women's quality of life, and enumerate the health-seeking behavior, and determine the prevalence of various perimenopausal symptoms.

Methods: A Cross-sectional study was conducted in the urban settlements of Telangana in 2022. Using an online questionnaire, data was collected from 200 participants, who were identified by convenient sampling followed by snowball sampling. For data collection, a questionnaire was developed from focus group discussions along with standardized MEN-QOL questionnaire.

Results: Common perimenopausal symptoms observed were hair loss (47%), fatigue (48%) and body/joint pain (46%). (54%) participants approached family doctor, 40.5% prefer private healthcare facilities, 39.5% prefer modern medicine. Mean total MEN-QOL score is 3.13±0.37.QOL is low in the physical domain (mean=3.93). Age has a statistically significant relationship with all three domains of MEN- QOL (p<0.05).

Conclusions: Hair loss, fatigue, and body/joint pains are prevalent perimenopausal symptoms. Physical domain has poor QOL. Most participants approached family doctors, visits private healthcare facilities and prefers modern medicine.

Metrics

Metrics Loading ...

References

National Institute on Aging. What Is Menopause?. Available at: https://www.nia.nih.gov/health/what-menopause. Accessed 31 October 2022.

Meher T, Sahoo H. Premature menopause among women in India: Evidence from National Family Health Survey-IV. J Obstet Gynaecol Res. 2021;47(12):4426-39.

Poomalar GK, Arounassalame B. The quality of life during and after menopause among rural women. J Clin Diagn Res. 2013;7(1):135-9.

Szadowska-Szlachetka ZC, Stasiak E, Leziak A, Irzmańska-Hudziak A, Łuczyk M, Stanisławek A, et al. Intensity of menopausal symptoms and quality of life in climacteric women. Przegla̜d Menopauzalny Menopause Rev. 2019;18(4):217-21.

Yerra AK, Bala S, Yalamanchili RK, Bandaru RK, Mavoori A. Menopause-related quality of life among urban women of Hyderabad, India. J Life Health. 2021;12(2):161.

National Health Mission. Maternal Health. Available at: https://nhm.gov.in/index1.php?lang=1&level=2&sublinkid=822&lid=218. Accessed 23 May 2023.

Ahuja M. Age of menopause and determinants of menopause age: A PAN India survey by IMS. J Life Health. 2016;7(3):126.

Ganapathy T, Al Furaikh SS. Health-related quality of life among menopausal women. Arch Medi Health Sci. 2018;6(1):16-23.

Hilditch JR, Lewis J, Peter A, van Maris B, Ross A, Franssen E, et al. A menopause-specific quality of life questionnaire: development and psychometric properties. Maturitas. 1996;24(3):161-75.

Barati M, Akbari-heidari H, Samadi-yaghin E, Jenabi E, Jormand H, Kamyari N. The factors associated with the quality of life among postmenopausal women. BMC Women’s Health. 2021;21(1):208.

Abdullah B, Moize B, Ismail BA, Zamri M, Mohd Nasir NF. Prevalence of menopausal symptoms, its effect to quality of life among Malaysian women and their treatment seeking behavior. Med J Malaysia. 2017;72(2):94-9.

Wang X, Wang L, Di J, Zhang X, Zhao G. Prevalence and risk factors for menopausal symptoms in middle-aged Chinese women: a community-based cross-sectional study. Menopause N Y N. 2021;28(11):1271-8.

Du L, Xu B, Huang C, Zhu L, He N. Menopausal symptoms and perimenopausal healthcare-seeking behavior in women aged 40–60 years: a community-based cross-sectional survey in Shanghai, China. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2020;17(8):2640.

Dienye PO, Judah F, Ndukwu G. Frequency of symptoms and health seeking behaviors of menopausal women in an out-patient clinic in Port Harcourt, Nigeria. Glob J Health Sci. 2013;5(4):39-47.

Khan S, Shukla M, Priya N, Ansari M. Health seeking behavior among post-menopausal women: a knowledge, attitude and practices study. Int J Community Med Public Health. 2016;3(7):1777-82.

Ozcan H. Healthy life style behaviors and quality of life at menopause. Int J Caring Sci. 2019;12(1):492-500.