Menopause-related quality of life among urban women of Hyderabad, India

Background: Menopause is regarded as the marker for various symptoms such as physical, psychological, vasomotor, and sexual impairing the quality of life (QOL). Objectives: To assess the menopause-related QOL and determine associated factors among postmenopausal women. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 378 postmenopausal women attending the obstetrics and gynecology department of a tertiary care hospital using a standardized menopause-specific QOL (MENQOL) questionnaire consisting of physical, vasomotor, psychosocial, and sexual domains. Results: The study included 378 women aged above 40 years, with majority belonging to the age group of 46-50 years. The total MENQOL mean score was found to be 19.35 +/- 16.20, with physical domain score the highest 14.89 +/- 11.85, followed by vasomotor 1.98 +/- 3.83, psychosocial 1.82 +/- 3.29, and the least as sexual domain with score of 0.624 +/- 2.21. Post menopausal women with age less than 50 years, No formal education, High socio-economic status, Home makers and duration of menopause less than 5 years was found to have statistical significant association with higher vasomotor domain score; No formal education, higher socio economic status and duration of menopause with greater than 5 years was found to be significant with higher sexual domain scores. Conclusions: Menopause may be associated with a decrease in QOL. Certain sociodemographic variables showed a statistically significant association with the vasomotor and sexual domains. Awareness and interventions that affect the modifiable factors may help in increasing the QOL at menopause.