Impact of the new coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic on climacteric women’s health: Websurvey

Abstract

Objective The menopausal transition is an important milestone in female reproductive life. Many studies have been conducted to assess the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on women, but few of them focus on the climacteric population. This study aimed to investigate changes in the health and health care of climacteric women aged 40–70 years residing in Brazil during the pandemic period. Method A cross-sectional study was carried out using an electronic form with questions related to sociodemographic, clinical and gynecological data, treatments, access to health services and changes in behavior. Results A total of 419 women answered the questionnaire. Sixty percent reported weight gain and 50.8% reported reduced physical activity practice. More than 80% reported worsening mental health and 66.1% had a change in their sleep pattern. More than half reported having difficulty accessing gynecological consultations and routine examinations. Women living in capital cities reported a greater change in alcohol consumption (p = 0.002). Income change was associated with a higher prevalence of weight gain (p = 0.033) and changes in sleep quality (p = 0.018). Conclusion We observed an important reduction in the health care of climacteric women during the pandemic period, such as a decrease in medical consultations and preventive examinations, worsening of life habits and deterioration in mental health.