Middle-aged Menopausal Women Research Articles

Level of adherence to diet and physical activity among menopausal women and influencing factors in Jordan: a descriptive cross-sectional study.

During menopause, a woman's lifestyle may change significantly, which will have implications on her quality of life. Women will experience menopause for more than a third of their life; therefore, maintaining good health during this period is crucial. A healthy diet and physical activity can help women maintain their health during menopause. Hence, assessing adherence to a healthy diet and physical activity among menopausal women is important. This study aims to assess the degree of adherence to a healthy diet and physical activity of menopausal women in Jordan and determine the most influential factors. A descriptive cross-sectional design was used in this study, and an online self-administered questionnaire was sent to 299 menopausal women selected through simple random sampling. A valid and reliable questionnaire was used to assess the menopausal women's adherence to a healthy diet and physical activity. The questionnaire consisted of 14 items covering two domains: 12 questions for the diet domain and two questions for the physical activity domain. Descriptive statistics were obtained, mean weight and body mass index (BMI) were calculated, and stepwise regression was conducted for the data analysis. The overall degree of adherence to a healthy diet and physical activity of the women was moderate (49.25, SD = 7.17). Most of the participants reported eating refined food items once a month or less (n = 188, 62.9%) and not exercising weekly (n = 119, 39.8%), and only a few reported eating refined food items at least once a day (n = 5, 1.7%) and exercising 5-6 times a week (n = 15, 5%). The regression analysis showed that age (B = 0.145, p = 0.014), having two children (B = 0.123, p = 0.034) and completing primary or secondary education (B = 0.120, p = 0.038) were statistically significant and the strongest predictors of adherence. The predictors accounted for 68% of the variance in adherence to a healthy diet and physical activity (R2 = 0.068, F [343.54] = 7.123, p = 0.000). The majority of the middle-aged menopausal women in this study showed moderate adherence to a healthy diet and physical activity. Age, having two children and completing primary or secondary education were associated with degree of adherence to a healthy diet and physical activity. Therefore, healthcare intervention, such as physical activity and dietary control programs, should target women in this age group and stage in life.

A Structural Equation Model of Subjective Happiness in Menopausal Middle-aged Women

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to build a structural model to explain subjective happiness in menopausal middle-aged women.Methods: A hypothesized model was established based on literature review. Emotional stress and family support were included as exogenous variables whereas active coping, resilience, and subjective happiness were included as endogenous variables. This study was conducted using data from 228 middle-aged menopausal women living in the Republic of Korea that fit the structural equation model. The data were analyzed using SPSS 27.0 and Amos 20.0 programs.Results: Emotional stress was revealed as the most influential factor affecting subjective happiness. Emotional stress had a negative direct, indirect, and total effect on subjective happiness. Family support had positive indirect and total effects, and resilience had positive direct and total effects on subjective happiness.Conclusion: To enhance subjective happiness of menopausal middle-aged women, nursing interventions, which reduce emotional stress and improve resilience, should be provided. Family-level nursing intervention should be also developed to promote family support.

Knowledge, Attitude, Symptoms, and Management Practices among Middle-aged Menopausal Women: A Cross-sectional Study

Introduction: Menopause is defined as the permanent cessation of menstrual periods following the loss of ovarian follicular activity. It typically occurs between the ages of 45 and 55. Almost all women experience this phase and undergo various symptoms. However, menopause and its symptoms are often perceived as a normal phenomenon by women. Therefore, it is necessary to educate women about the complications of menopause and strategies to cope with them. Aim: To assess knowledge and attitude on menopause and management practices of menopausal symptoms among women aged 40-55 years. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional observational study was conducted for seven months, from June 11, 2019, to December 31, 2019, among 196 naturally menopausal women aged between 40 and 55 years residing in Ashok Nagar, Belagavi, Karnataka, India. Data were collected using a pretested questionnaire that included information on sociodemographic profiles, Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices (KAP) towards menopause. Descriptive statistics were used to analyse the data using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) version 22.0. Results: Of the study participants, 109 (55.6%) were found to have average knowledge regarding menopause, 176 (89.8%) had a neutral attitude towards menopause, and approximately 173 (88.3%) had average practices towards managing menopausal symptoms. Conclusion: The study participants exhibited average knowledge and neutral attitudes towards menopause. Their management practices for menopausal symptoms were also found to be average. There is an urgent need to raise awareness among women regarding knowledge about menopause.

Efficacy of simplified Kundalini yoga practices on low-density lipoprotein and high-density lipoprotein among Middle-aged menopausal women

To achieve the aim of the study, 120 middle-aged menopausal women from Chennai city between the ages of 40 and 50 were randomly selected, 40 of them were screened, and they were divided into two groups of 20 subjects each. Before the start of the training program, preliminary tests were carried out for the two groups on the selected dependent variables. The experimental group received Sky Yoga practices for 60 minutes for six days for a total of twelve weeks. The control group was allowed to go about their routine and normal lifestyle with no specific training. After twelve weeks, both groups were retested for the same selected dependent variable, Low Density Lipoprotein and High Density Lipoprotein). Analysis of covariance (ANOVA) was used to find the significant difference between the experimental group and the control group. The significance test was set at a confidence level of 0.05.

Psychological well-being of midlife women: a structural equation modeling approach.

Women experience menopause at approximately 50 to 52 years of age, when reproductive aging causes various somatic, psychological, and urogenital symptoms. Women's changing lifestyles and increasing lifespan make it difficult to pinpoint the factors affecting their well-being during menopause, warranting continuous research in this field. Therefore, this study developed a structural equation model, based on the transactional model of stress and coping, to test the significance of positive and negative factors associated with psychological health during menopause. This study validated a structural equation model based on the empirical data collected using a crosssectional study. We analyzed 300 questionnaire responses completed between May 15 and July 10, 2020, by South Korean middle-aged women (aged 45-60 y) who agreed to participate. The study's structural equation model used self-efficacy as an exogenous variable and perceived stress, menopausal management, self-compassion, menopausal symptoms, and psychological well-being as endogenous variables. Educational and economic levels were set as control variables. We observed statistical support for 9 out of 10 hypotheses; the predictor variables had an explanatory power of 79.5% for psychological well-being. Self-efficacy was positively associated with the psychological wellbeing of middle-aged menopausal women and appeared to be mediated by perceived stress, menopausal management, menopausal symptoms, and self-compassion. To improve the psychological well-being of middle-aged women, it is important to increase their self-efficacy and minimize stress. Moreover, managing menopausal symptoms and increasing self-compassion through effective coping may maximize psychological well-being. http://links.lww.com/MENO/A933.

Impact of Simplified Kundalini Yoga Practices on Thyroid Stimulating Hormone and Anxiety in Middle-Aged Menopausal Women

In this study, one hundred and twenty middle-aged menopausal women aged forty to fifty were chosen at random from Chennai, India. Forty women were screened before being divided into two groups of twenty each. The same dependent variable, thyroid stimulating hormone, and anxiety, were reviewed after twelve weeks in both groups. To establish the significant difference between the dependent variable, thyroid-stimulating hormone, and anxiety, an analysis of variance was used. The level of statistical significance was fixed at 0.05.

Identifying the Factors That Affect Depressive Symptoms in Middle-Aged Menopausal Women: A Nationwide Study in Korea.

Depressive symptoms do not persistently negatively affect functioning throughout the life span, but they may affect quality of life (QOL), especially in middle-aged women. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the factors associated with depressive symptoms in premenopausal and postmenopausal women. This descriptive study was a secondary analysis of the data from the seventh Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey that was conducted in 2016. Of the 8150 participants, the analysis included 644 premenopausal women and 459 postmenopausal women aged 40–60 years. The factors associated with depressive symptoms in the participants were examined using multivariate regression analysis. It was found that the depressive symptoms of postmenopausal middle-aged women were greater than those of premenopausal women. While a high perceived stress status and high pain-related discomfort were factors that influenced depressive symptoms among the premenopausal group, a high level of discomfort due to anxiety/depression, a poor perceived health status, shortened weekend sleep time, and smoking were associated with depressive symptoms in the postmenopausal group. Thus, it is necessary to develop an intervention to decrease depressive symptoms in postmenopausal women that considers their QOL, which is associated with depression, their subjective health status, sleep time, and smoking cessation.

Assessment of Menopausal Symptom Using Modified Menopause Rating Scale among Rural Women of Rajnandgaon in Chhattisgarh, a Central India Region

ABSTRACT Background Menopause is a natural process that results in atresia of almost all oocytes in ovaries, causing an increase in follicle-stimulating hormone and luteinizing hormone levels and a decrease in estrogen levels. Menopausal symptoms impact physical, psychological, vasomotor, and sexual health-related quality of life among women. Aim and objective The study was planned with the aim to assess the commonly reported menopausal symptoms among rural women of Central India, Rajnandgaon, Chhattisgarh, using the menopause rating scale (MRS). Materials and methods An observational cross-sectional study was carried out in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Atal Bihari Vajpayee Memorial Medical College Rajnandgaon, Chhattisgarh, for a period of 6 months. In all, 199 patients who had attained menopause were analyzed. Menopausal symptoms were assessed using modified MRS). Quantitative data were presented as frequencies and percentages by using SPSS version 21. Results Two hundred Questionnaires were distributed among the females who attended gynecology OPD and IPD and 199 gave consent to participate in the study; the response rate was 99.5%. The mean age at menopause was 45.35 ± 4.42 years. In all, 100% of women reported having experience of more than five menopausal symptoms. The prevalence of symptoms in urogenital—sexual was 76.88%, somatic 75.62%, and psychological 73.33%. Conclusion Menopause-related symptoms are highly prevalent among middle-aged women in rural areas of Rajnandgaon, Chhattisgarh; this signifies the urgent need for community-based screening for such condition. Physical symptoms (joint and muscle problems) are the most commonly reported one. Healthcare providers have to be sensitized to special health needs of these rural middle-aged menopausal women. How to cite this article Armo M, Sainik S. Assessment of Menopausal Symptom Using Modified Menopause Rating Scale among Rural Women of Rajnandgaon in Chhattisgarh, a Central India Region. J South Asian Feder Obst Gynae 2020;12(4):209–214.

Association between Metabolic Syndrome and Psychological Characteristics in Korean Postmenopausal Women

Background: Metabolic syndrome is a major health problem in postmenopausal women, along with psychological issues. Hence, this study was conducted to investigate the relationship between metabolic syndrome and mental health properties targeting middle-aged menopausal women, and analyzed the psychological factors affecting the prevalence of metabolic syndrome. Methods: The study subjects were 479 postmenopausal women aged 45-64 years, who had taken their routine health screenings from August to October in 2012. The presence of 3 or more of 5 risk factors constitutes diagnosis of metabolic syndrome. Depression, trait anxiety, and stress level were measured by Beck Depression Inventory, State-Trait Inventory, and Brief Encounter Psychological Instrument, respectively. Multiple logistic regression analysis was performed to confirm the relationship between the metabolic syndrome and psychological characteristics. Results: The prevalence of metabolic syndrome in postmenopausal women was 16.5%. Metabolic syndrome was significantly related with trait anxiety (odds ratio [OR]=16.53, P=0.007) and depression (OR=0.16, P=0.012), after adjusting for age, marital status, educational level, monthly income, body mass index, eating habits and exercise. Conclusions: Trait anxiety and depression were found to be related with the prevalence of metabolic syndrome in postmenopausal women. Korean J Health Promot 2016;16(2):119-126

The relationship between psychosocial problems including depression and behavioural trends among middle-aged menopausal women in a cohort study

We investigated the association of psychosocial problems, menopausal symptoms such as hot flushes, and trends of smoking and use of cosmetics in our previous study. In this follow-up study, we researched psychiatric disorders and psychosocial problems in menopausal women. We designed a cohort study with 577 Japanese women aged 30-64years. Subjects were selected randomly from among women who visited the department of gender-specific medicine at Tokyo Women's Medical University East Medical Center between June 2010 and September 2011. We analysed trends such as smoking, using cosmetics, and menopausal symptoms and their association with the first lifetime episode of severe depression and anxiety using structured clinical interviews for the DSM-IV (structured clinical interview for DSM-IV, outpatient version [SCID]), the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale (CES-D) and the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI). Significant associations were observed between hot flushes, smoking and the frequency of using cosmetics. Furthermore, the trends in cosmetic use and smoking affected not only psychosocial problems, but also physical problems. Younger women suffered from psychosocial problems more than twice the rate of post-menopausal women. Those who reported their first severe depression episode were also affected by severe anxiety disorders and physical problems. By self-checking the frequency of using cosmetics is up to date knowledge of psychosocial mood problems and improving women's quality of life.

The Effects of Meridian Massage on Menopausal Symptoms and Shin-Hur in Middle-aged Menopausal Women

The purpose of this study was to identify the effects of meridian massage on menopausal symptoms and Shin-Hur in middle-aged menopausal women. The research design was a nonequivalent control group pre-post experimental design. The subjects of the study were middle-aged women who had had no menstruation in the last 12 months after the last menstrual bleeding. Cards of invitation on bulletin boards of several apartments were placed to recruit the subjects. The cards of invitation included: purpose of the study, eligibility criteria, method and period. Eighteen women in the experimental group and 16 women in the control group were conveniently assigned, respectively. The experimental group received 20 min meridian massage 3 times per week for 4 weeks. The menopausal symptoms and Shin-Hur were measured and compared between the two groups before and after the intervention. Data were analyzed with the SPSS program by Fisher's exact test, Wilcoxon Sign Rank test, Mann Whitney U-test and Spearman's rank correlation. The experimental group showed a significant decrease of menopausal symptoms (U=77.00, p=.020) and Shin-Hur (U=76.00, p=.017). There was a significantly positive correlation between menopausal symptoms and Shin-Hur (r=.497, p=.003). Meridian massage was effective in improving menopausal symptoms and Shin-Hur in middle-aged menopausal women. Thus it can be useful as a nursing intervention for menopausal women.

Good Mothers Never Wane: Mothering at Menopause

ABSTRACT Due to recent feminist scholarship, we know a considerable amount about women's mothering identities and activities, as well as the impact of mothering ideology on individual women. Nonetheless there are gaps in our knowledge about motherhood. For instance, we know mostly about experiences of mothers with young children, and an implicit assumption is that mothers are also fairly young themselves. Yet, what about mothers at midlife and beyond? What about menopausal mothers? This paper represents an initial attempt to explore motherhood experiences of middle-aged menopausal women. Findings presented in this article are based on 45 in-depth interviews with middle-class, heterosexual menopausal women in a midwestern state in 2001. Findings suggest that motherwork and the maintenance of “good” mothering ideology are still primary activities of women at menopause despite assumptions that menopausal women have completed mothering experiences and are now grandmothers (if caregivers at all). In analyzing menopausal mothers, I encourage broader explorations of women's experiences of both motherhood and menopause.

Relationship between Abnormal Sensation in the Throat and Menopause

Abnormal sensations in the throat (AST) are commonly encountered in general and otolaryngological practice, especially among middle aged women. These sensation may occur alone, or more often, in combination with the systemic symptoms, including those of menopause. We analyzed 26 Japanese women with a complaint of an abnormal sensation in the throat who were taking a synthetic sex hormone (Methermon-F). Multianalysis of variance (MANOVA) was used to evaluate the efficacy of the treatment using the quantitative scores of Kupperman's climacteric symptoms. The presence of the excessive perspiration and vertigo, insomnia, and the absence of fatigue were associated with clinical efficacy of the hormone, while the presence of hyposthenia and tingling sensation were associated with a poor response. Results suggested that the clinical efficacy of this hormone in treating middle-aged menopausal women with AST was related to the menopausal symptoms.