Impact Of Menopausal Symptoms Research Articles

Are menopausal symptoms a barrier to learning for healthcare students studying at higher education?: A contemporary issue

ProblemLittle is known about the impact of menopausal symptoms on healthcare students' ability to study at higher education level. BackgroundAttention on menopause is rapidly increasing in both the literature and media and is gaining political attention with particular focus on supporting those experiencing menopausal symptoms in the workplace. Policies are being developed to support individuals to remain in work for longer, reducing the number of people leaving the workplace due to challenging menopausal symptoms. However there is no evidence to suggest that support for higher education students experiencing menopausal symptoms is widespread. Whilst some higher education institutions and organisations are developing policies to support staff and, sometimes students, current literature does not reflect how students and their studies may be affected by menopausal symptoms. This is relevant to institutions where healthcare professions courses are delivered as this is thought to have contributed to the overall increase in the number of female students attending universities both in the UK and globally. A continued lack of understanding of menopausal symptoms' impact on students could not only be detrimental to the student experience, but it could also affect institutional reputations for being good places to study, resulting in increased attrition rates due to students withdrawing from courses because of the impact their symptoms have on their ability to continue studying. AimIn this Contemporary Issues article our aim is to raise awareness of how menopausal symptoms may affect a student's ability to study, and to reinforce the need for university policy makers and educators to recognise and support women at this turbulent time of their lives to continue to study.

Impact of menopausal symptoms on work and careers: a cross-sectional study.

Women over 50 years are one of the fastest-growing employment groups. Menopausal symptoms can adversely impact quality of life, work performance and attendance; however, few studies look at the impact of individual menopausal symptoms on work and career development. To measure the prevalence of menopausal symptoms in employees in a healthcare setting, to assess the impact of individual symptoms on work, attendance and career development and to explore perceptions about workplace supports. In this cross-sectional study of Irish hospital workers, menopausal employees were asked about the frequency of 10 menopausal symptoms and the extent to which each symptom impacted them at work. Impacts on performance, attendance and career development were assessed, along with the benefits of workplace support. Responses from 407 women showed that the most common menopausal symptoms affecting employees greater than 50% of the time while at work were fatigue (54%), difficulty sleeping (47%), poor concentration (44%) and poor memory (40%). Work performance was impacted for 65% of respondents and 18% had taken sick leave. There was a significant association between symptom severity at work and reduced work performance, career development decisions and attendance. Manager awareness about menopause (29%) and flexible working times (29%) were selected as the most important workplace supports. Female employees are negatively impacted by menopausal symptoms while at work, particularly by psychological and neurocognitive symptoms which were associated with reduced work performance, attendance and career decisions. Manager awareness and flexible schedules were considered the most beneficial workplace supports.

Impact of menopausal symptoms on presenteeism in Japanese women.

Menopausal symptoms are common among middle-aged women. Working women with severe menopausal symptoms are more likely to experience presenteeism-a condition where employees continue to work despite feeling unwell. However, it remains unclear as to which specific symptoms women experience during the menopausal transition and postmenopausal periods that primarily contribute to presenteeism. To evaluate the associations between types of menopausal symptoms and presenteeism among Japanese women. A cross-sectional study of 4000 women aged 40-59 years who were currently working was conducted in Japan in September 2022. We used an online self-administered questionnaire that included items on demographic characteristics, the Menopause Rating Scale for measuring menopausal symptoms and the Work Functioning Impairment Scale for measuring presenteeism. Logistic regression analysis was performed. Women with severe overall menopausal symptoms had 12.18-fold (95% confidence interval [CI] 9.09-16.33, P < 0.001) increased odds of presenteeism compared with those without symptoms. Participants with psychological symptoms also had significantly higher presenteeism (severe: odds ratio: 9.18, 95% CI 6.60-12.78, P < 0.001). However, after controlling for psychological symptoms, there were no significant associations between somatic and urogenital symptoms and presenteeism. The results indicate that menopausal symptoms, especially psychological symptoms, have a significant impact on presenteeism among Japanese women. Organizations need to address menopausal symptoms in the workplace, with an emphasis on reducing work-related stress for women with menopausal symptoms.

Part I: Interactive case: Menopause

Part I: Interactive case: Menopause

Research Priorities to Support Women Veterans' Reproductive Health and Health Care Within a Learning Health Care System.

Research Priorities to Support Women Veterans' Reproductive Health and Health Care Within a Learning Health Care System.

Impact of Menopausal Symptoms on Work: Findings from Women in the Health and Employment after Fifty (HEAF) Study.

Women make up a growing proportion of the workforce and therefore many women experience menopause while in paid employment. We explored the prevalence of menopausal symptoms, the relationship between symptoms and coping with work and the risk factors associated with struggling at work during the menopause. The Health and Employment After Fifty (HEAF) community-based cohort of people aged 50-64 years was incepted 2013-2014 to study health and work. In 2019, female participants were asked to complete a questionnaire about their menopausal symptoms, and effect of those symptoms on their ability to cope at work. 409 women were eligible for inclusion. The commonest symptoms were vasomotor (91.7%); trouble sleeping (68.2%); psychological (63.6%) and urinary (49.1%). The prevalence of reporting symptoms was similar no matter which type of occupation women were performing at the time. Around one-third of women reported moderate/severe difficulties coping at work because of menopausal symptoms. Risk factors for difficulties coping at work included: financial deprivation, poorer self-rated health, depression, and adverse psychosocial occupational factors but not physical demands. More awareness is needed amongst employers in all sectors but women with financial difficulties and those with jobs in which they feel insecure, unappreciated, or dissatisfied are at greatest risk.

Sensitivity-to-change and predictive validity of the Cervantes Short-Form (C-SF) questionnaire in postmenopausal women.

To explore, for the first time, the ability of the Cervantes Short-Form (C-SF) questionnaire to detect and to predict meaningful changes (sensitivity-to-change and predictive validity) in women with menopausal symptoms receiving any therapeutic management under routine medical care. Postmenopausal women included in a registry study were the source of data. Sensitivity-to-change was explored by assessing the responses of C-SF to different type of treatment management: no treatment, natural therapies or systemic hormonal therapy (SHT). Predictive validity assessed the ability of baseline score to predict the reduction in the impact of menopausal symptoms in C-SF scoring equal or higher than one time its minimally important difference (MID) of improvement (response rate). A total of 245 women were enrolled. C-SF score was significantly reduced (better QoL) with SHT by 10.62 points versus no change or 2.32 point by natural therapies or no treatment, respectively (p < 0.001 in both cases). Women declaring better improvement after treatment showed higher significant reduction in C-SF score versus those with no self-perceived improvement or impairment: -12.49 point versus +1.06 and +12.71, respectively (p < 0,01 in both cases). Responder rate showed a significant lineal growing trend with higher C-SF scoring at baseline in women who received SHT: higher scoring showed higher response rates (lineal Chi2 = 15.9, p < 0.001), but not in the case of receiving natural therapies or no treatment. C-SF was shown to be sensitive-to-change when postmenopausal QOL status changes due to mainly systemic hormonal treatment, therefore, supporting the utilization of this instrument to monitor response to treatment. Likewise, pre-treatment scoring in C-SF was able to predict woman's QOL meaningful response with hormonal treatment.

The Impact of Walking Programs on Reduction of Menopausal Symptoms: A Scoping Review

Abstract Keywords: Menopause, Walking, Pedometer-based Walking Aim: To conduct a scoping review of the existing literature on walking programs for menopausal women and explore the impact of various walking interventions on the reduction of menopausal symptoms. Background: Menopause is natural occurring phenomenon for women and can present with several physical and mental symptoms that are more severely experienced by some individuals. These experiences can be very distressing for women to deal with, especially in light of their personal, social, and work lives. The substantial impact of menopausal symptoms direly calls for effective coping strategies and treatment methods. Specific to menopause, physical activity is a form of treatment that can decrease occurrences and severity of menopausal symptoms. Previous studies have reported the benefits of walking in reducing symptoms, yet it is unclear which specific programs are most effective in reducing menopausal symptoms, especially in light of the time and efficacy barriers reported by menopausal women. Methods: A scoping review was conducted in nine databases for articles published up to September 2011, to identify studies exploring the topic of interest. Two investigators independently screened articles and two investigators independently extracted data based on specific themes. Mean differences and effect sizes were calculated to determine the effectiveness of walking interventions. Risk of bias assessments were also conducted for all reviewed studies. Findings: Seven studies, including five RCTs, met all inclusion criteria. All studies presented improvements in post-intervention menopausal symptoms of depression, sleep quality and physiological markers. Amongst all interventions (Pedometer-based programs, Nordic walking, walking training and SaBang Dolgi), pedometer-based walking presented the greatest improvement from baseline frequencies. Amongst all symptoms, depression saw the greatest reduction post interventions. Conclusion: Pedometer-based walking programs seem to be the most effective intervention for reduction of menopausal symptoms. Findings are comparable to those of other studies.

'Menopause affects us all . . .': menopause transition experiences of female ambulance staff from a UK ambulance service.

There is limited research regarding the menopause transition in the emergency services; however, all women will experience this life phase, which can have a significant impact on personal well-being, workplace attendance and performance. The aim of this survey was to explore personal and work impacts of the menopause for all female staff in the ambulance setting. A purpose-designed, 20-question survey, based on the Menopause Rating Scale and British Menopause Survey, was developed to understand menopausal symptoms and their impact on female staff in one UK ambulance service. Disseminated during 1-31 July 2019, it resulted in a convenience sample of 522 responses, which were analysed using descriptive statistics and thematic approaches. Typically, respondents were either pre-menopausal or peri-menopausal, with approximately a third being menopausal or post-menopausal. Over half worked in emergency operational delivery, and typically worked shifts or unsocial hours. For those who had experienced menopause symptoms, the most commonly reported were tiredness or low energy levels, difficulty sleeping (including insomnia) and mood changes (including anxiety or depression). Symptoms impacted respondents' well-being, work and home life. Most had not expected the symptoms they experienced. The majority of respondents did not feel supported at work, with lack of menopausal symptom awareness and personal impact, working times and patterns, and sense of embarrassment of most concern. Other issues included lack of managerial and peer support, inadequate working environment and uniform, lack of dignity and choice, and no dedicated menopause policy. It is understood that this is the first survey to explore female ambulance staff menopause experiences. The impact of menopausal symptoms can be significant. Menopause awareness in this ambulance service is lacking and there is clear scope for initiatives for improved staff support and well-being. Further research is warranted to explore how best to support ambulance staff with the menopause transition.

The Masters athlete in Olympic weightlifting: Training, lifestyle, health challenges, and gender differences.

BackgroundOlympic weightlifting requires strength, speed, and explosive power. Vigorous physical activity such as Olympic weightlifting, for older adults has many benefits from improved strength, social interactions, and a healthy and independent lifestyle. Little is known about the training habits, health, and lifestyle of Masters weightlifters that includes top level athletes as well as beginners, and there is a dearth of data on women.ObjectivesThe primary aim was to describe demographics, training habits, and health including prevalence of injury and chronic disease in male and female Masters athletes in Olympic weightlifting. The secondary aim was to study gender differences and the age and impact of menopause on participation in the sport.ResultsThe 958 participants (46% men), ages 34 to 87, mostly train 3 to 4 days per week in 1 to 2 hour sessions. This is a highly educated and affluent group, 84% are white, 72% are married, 85% are post-secondary graduates. Exercise can also increase the risk of injury compared to less active older adults, but the rates of injury in weightlifting affecting training are lower than seen in other sports. The prevalence of depression and mental health is similar to a general population. Stress levels and sleep disturbances are more common among women than men. Women reach menopause at a similar age as women in industrialized countries, but menopausal symptoms constrained the training.ConclusionOlder athletes are capable of rigorous training programs and top performances while adjusting to changes due to biological aging. Weightlifting athletes, coaches, and health professionals must be aware of patterns of injuries and gender differences to incorporate successful prevention strategies. Knowledge of presentations of menopause and impact of menopausal symptoms on training allows women and health care providers to make informed treatment decisions.

The associations between menopausal symptoms and sleep quality in Spanish postmenopausal women

Objectives: Around the menopause, sleep disturbances frequently occur or worsen and are associated with decreased health quality and physical and psychological problems. The aim of this study was to analyze sleep quality and its association with the impact of menopausal symptoms in Spanish postmenopausal women.Methods: A total of 278 postmenopausal women (age 60.95 ± 8.01 years) participated in this cross-sectional study. The Medical Outcomes Study Sleep Scale (MOS-SS) and the Menopause Rating Scale (MRS) were used to analyze sleep quality and severity of menopausal symptoms, respectively. Anxiety and depression were measured using the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale.Results: The linear regression showed that a greater impact of menopausal symptoms (MRS total score) was associated with worse scores regarding sleep adequacy (p < 0.001, R2 = 0.056), snoring (p = 0.020, R2 = 0.036), awaken short of breath (p < 0.001, R2 = 0.089), and quantity of sleep (p < 0.001, R2 = 0.075) domains. Anxiety (p < 0.001) and worse somatic symptoms (p = 0.001) were related to greater sleep disturbances (R2 = 0.164). We also found relationships of heightened psychological symptoms (p < 0.001) and low physical activity level (p = 0.003) with increased daytime somnolence (R2 = 0.064). Finally, higher MRS total score and anxiety levels were associated with worse sleep quality assessed by MOS-SS Sleep Problems Index I (R2 = 0.179, p < 0.001 and p = 0.001, respectively) and Sleep Problems Index II (R2 = 0.146, p < 0.001 and p = 0.011, respectively).Conclusions: Anxiety and severity of menopausal symptoms were associated with poorer sleep quality. Furthermore, low physical activity level and worse psychological symptoms in menopause were predictors for increased somnolence. Therefore, screening for these factors in postmenopausal women is important, since they may be susceptible for intervention.

Health and Work of the Principals of Kindergarten: Impact of Menopausal Symptoms on Kindergarten Management

Health and Work of the Principals of Kindergarten: Impact of Menopausal Symptoms on Kindergarten Management

The Impact of Menopausal Symptoms on Quality of Life Among Breast Cancer Survivors

The Impact of Menopausal Symptoms on Quality of Life Among Breast Cancer Survivors

Weight reduction and improved glycaemic control following oestrogen replacement: individualising diabetes care in women

AbstractPost‐menopausal oestrogen deficiency symptoms may cause mood disturbances and affect compliance, yet clinicians are reluctant to prescribe oestrogen replacement in view of adverse risks.A 51‐year‐old woman was referred with poor glycaemic control. Compliance with diet and medications was poor. Intercurrent problems included depression, dyslipidaemia and severe vasomotor symptoms following hysterectomy one year prior.HbA1c was 12.4%; fasting total cholesterol 5.92mmol/L (NR 2.5–5). The patient was prescribed oestrogen replacement and no adjustments were made to diet or insulin. Over several months, mood and energy improved and weight fell from 110kg to 81kg, HbA1c dropped to 7.6%, cholesterol was 2.56mmol/L and insulin dosage halved.The impact of menopausal symptoms on health and wellbeing is often underestimated. In selected post‐menopausal women with type 2 diabetes, short‐term treatment with hormone replacement therapy may be useful if benefits obtained outweigh potential risks. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley &amp; Sons.

Impact of menopausal symptoms on quality of life 6 months after systemic breast cancer treatment: results from the Shanghai Breast Cancer Survival Study

Menopausal symptoms (MPS) after breast cancer treatment are associated with reduced health-related quality of life (QOL) among Caucasian women. Little is known about whether MPS similarly impact QOL in Asian women with breast cancer. QOL was assessed by using the generic quality of life instruments, Medical Outcome Study of Quality of Life Inventory (MOSQOL-74) or Short Form-36 Health Survey (SF-36) in 4,976 Chinese participants of the Shanghai Breast Cancer Survival Study who were treated for incident, non-metastatic breast cancer within the 6 months before the study interview. Relationships between MPS and QOL were assessed by multiple linear regression, controlling for potential confounders. About 71.4% of study participants experienced MPS, including hot flashes, night sweats, vaginal dryness, depressed mood, and/or dry skin. Women with MPS reported lower overall QOL than women without MPS [mean scores 61.0 vs. 64.0, respectively (MOSQOL-74) and 54.9 vs. 66.9, respectively (SF-36); P < 0.01]. Adjusted mean differences (beta) in overall QOL in the presence and absence of MPS were -3.1 (95% CI -3.8, -2.4) with the MOSQOL-74 and -12.3 (95% CI -13.8, -10.9) with the SF-36. Women with any MPS had lower scores for the MOSQOL-74 physical and psychological domains and for the SF-36 social and emotional subscales than those without MPS (P < 0.05 for all). Having several MPS predicted poorer QOL in all domains measured regardless of the instrument used (P (trend) < 0.01 for all). Our study indicates that in Chinese women recently treated for breast cancer, MPS adversely impacts QOL. Actively soliciting and treating MPS in these women should significantly improve their QOL.

Understanding the menopausal experiences of professional women

To assess how menopause affects the lives of busy female executives by evaluating how they view their overall health and how specific symptoms affect their lives and to gain insight into their knowledge and general perspective of hormone therapy as treatment for menopause-related symptoms. In this survey, 961 members of the National Association of Female Executives aged 35 years and older completed an Internet survey about the impact of menopausal symptoms and general knowledge and understanding of hormone therapy. Subgroups within this survey included women who were premenopausal (n = 118), perimenopausal (n = 239), menopausal (n = 297), and postmenopausal (n = 307). A majority of women surveyed (88%) had personal experience with menopause, 95% reported physical symptoms, and 79% reported emotional symptoms. Among women reporting symptoms, 40% found symptoms to be problematic in at least one area of their lives. Of the 41% of respondents who had used hormone therapy to treat their menopausal symptoms, 57% reported continued use at the time of the survey. Among those who discontinued hormone therapy, 39% cited the Women's Health Initiative results as one of the reasons. The survey also found substantial gaps in the knowledge and understanding of hormone therapy by the survey responders. The majority of menopausal women surveyed experience physical and/or emotional symptoms. For many women, symptoms related to menopause significantly affect their daily personal, professional, and social lives. Educating patients about scientific findings, current treatment options, and the associated risks and benefits is critical to providing effective, individualized care to improve quality of life.

Ovarian failure following cancer treatment: current management and quality of life

There is a lack of evidence regarding current screening practices for incipient ovarian failure in young women following gonadotoxic therapy and the most appropriate form of estrogen replacement. This study examined the (i) prevalence and management of ovarian failure and (ii) quality-of-life implications of early menopause (EM). A medical case note audit for 288 women with a history of gonadotoxic therapy (aged 18-50 years) was conducted. Self-reported quality-of-life data were obtained from 178 (62%). Ovarian screening was recorded in 44% of medical case notes, and ovarian failure was documented for 35%. From the self-reported data, 89/178 (50%) women reported experiencing an EM/ovarian failure. Worse menopausal symptoms were negatively associated with both sexual activity [pleasure (r = 0.29, P < 0.01), discomfort (r = 0.50, P < 0.001) and habit (r = 0.22, P < 0.05)] and general quality of life (P = 0.01). Hormone replacement therapy is the most commonly prescribed estrogen preparation; however, 34% of women with EM/ovarian failure reported not taking any replacement therapy. Given the extent and impact of menopausal symptoms, further work is needed to establish systems for screening ovarian function and to determine appropriate and effective management of ovarian failure.

Commentary on Schultz PN, Klein MJ, Beck ML, Stava C &amp; Sellin RV (2005) Breast cancer: relationship between menopausal symptoms, physiologic health effects of cancer treatment and physical constraints on quality of life in long‐term survivors. Journal of Clinical Nursing 14, 204–211

Commentary on Schultz PN, Klein MJ, Beck ML, Stava C &amp; Sellin RV (2005) Breast cancer: relationship between menopausal symptoms, physiologic health effects of cancer treatment and physical constraints on quality of life in long‐term survivors. <i>Journal of Clinical Nursing</i> 14, 204–211

Issues in the Economic Evaluation of Treatments for Menopausal Symptoms

A considerable number of menopausal women are affected by climacteric symptoms and, in the context of scarce health care resources, economic evaluations of interventions to alleviate them provide valuable information to decision makers. Relatively few evaluations of interventions solely aimed at reducing menopausal symptoms have been identified in the literature. This can be explained by the need to incorporate long term risks and benefits of treatments such as hormone replacement therapy as well as the short term effects. Moreover, little empirical work has been done to date on eliciting valuations of health states from women. It appears that many studies based on assumptions have underestimated the impact of menopausal symptoms on women's quality of life and more research is required in this area.

Impact of menopausal symptoms. Study perpetuates false impression.

Impact of menopausal symptoms. Study perpetuates false impression.