TY - JOUR
T1 - Impaired quality of life among middle aged women
T2 - A multicentre Latin American study
AU - Chedraui, Peter
AU - Blümel, Juan E.
AU - Baron, German
AU - Belzares, Emma
AU - Bencosme, Ascanio
AU - Calle, Andres
AU - Danckers, Luis
AU - Espinoza, Maria T.
AU - Flores, Daniel
AU - Gomez, Gustavo
AU - Hernandez-Bueno, Jose A.
AU - Izaguirre, Humberto
AU - Leon-Leon, Patricia
AU - Lima, Selva
AU - Mezones-Holguin, Edward
AU - Monterrosa, Alvaro
AU - Mostajo, Desire
AU - Navarro, Daysi
AU - Ojeda, Eliana
AU - Onatra, William
AU - Royer, Monique
AU - Soto, Edwin
AU - Tserotas, Konstantinos
PY - 2008/12/20
Y1 - 2008/12/20
N2 - Background: Several studies indicate that quality of life (QoL) is impaired in middle aged women. Assessment of QoL using a single validated tool in Latin American climacteric women has not been reported to date at large scale. Objective: The Menopause Rating Scale (MRS) was used to assess QoL among middle aged Latin American women and determine factors associated with severe menopausal symptoms (QoL impairment). Methods: In this cross-sectional study, 8373 healthy women aged 40-59 years, accompanying patients to healthcare centres in 18 cities of 12 Latin American countries, were asked to fill out the MRS and a questionnaire containing socio-demographic, female and partner data. Results: Mean age of the entire sample was 49.1 ± 5.7 years (median 49), a 62.5% had 12 or less years of schooling, 48.8% were postmenopausal and 14.7% were on hormonal therapy (HT). Mean total MRS score (n = 8373) was 11.3 ± 8.5 (median 10); for the somatic subscale, 4.1 ± 3.4; the psychological subscale, 4.6 ± 3.8 and the urogenital subscale, 2.5 ± 2.7. The prevalence of women presenting moderate to severe total MRS scorings was high (>50%) in all countries, Chile and Uruguay being the ones with the highest percentages (80.8% and 67.4%, respectively). Logistic regression determined that impaired QoL (severe total MRS score ≥17) was associated with the use of alternatives therapies for menopause (OR: 1.47, 95% CI [1.22-1.76], p = 0.0001), the use of psychiatric drugs (OR: 1.57, 95% CI [1.29-1.90], p = 0.0001), attending a psychiatrist (OR: 1.66, 95% CI [1.41-1.96], p = 0.0001), being postmenopausal (OR: 1.48, 95% CI [1.29-1.69, p = 0.0001]), having 49 years or more (OR: 1.24, 95% CI [1.08-1.42], p = 0.001), living at high altitude (OR: 1.43, 95% CI [1.25-1.62, p = 0.0001]) and having a partner with erectile dysfunction (OR: 1.69, 95% CI [1.47-1.94, p = 0.0001]) or premature ejaculation (OR: 1.34, 95% CI [1.16-1.55, p = 0.0001]). Lower risk for impaired QoL was related to living in a country with a lower income (OR: 0.77, 95% CI [0.68-0.88], p = 0.0002), using HT (OR: 0.65, 95% CI [0.56-0.76], p = 0.0001) and engaging in healthy habits (OR: 0.59, 95% CI [0.50-0.69], p = 0.0001). Conclusion: To the best of our knowledge this is the first and largest study assessing QoL in a Latin American climacteric series with a high prevalence of impairment related to individual female and male characteristics and the demography of the studied population.
AB - Background: Several studies indicate that quality of life (QoL) is impaired in middle aged women. Assessment of QoL using a single validated tool in Latin American climacteric women has not been reported to date at large scale. Objective: The Menopause Rating Scale (MRS) was used to assess QoL among middle aged Latin American women and determine factors associated with severe menopausal symptoms (QoL impairment). Methods: In this cross-sectional study, 8373 healthy women aged 40-59 years, accompanying patients to healthcare centres in 18 cities of 12 Latin American countries, were asked to fill out the MRS and a questionnaire containing socio-demographic, female and partner data. Results: Mean age of the entire sample was 49.1 ± 5.7 years (median 49), a 62.5% had 12 or less years of schooling, 48.8% were postmenopausal and 14.7% were on hormonal therapy (HT). Mean total MRS score (n = 8373) was 11.3 ± 8.5 (median 10); for the somatic subscale, 4.1 ± 3.4; the psychological subscale, 4.6 ± 3.8 and the urogenital subscale, 2.5 ± 2.7. The prevalence of women presenting moderate to severe total MRS scorings was high (>50%) in all countries, Chile and Uruguay being the ones with the highest percentages (80.8% and 67.4%, respectively). Logistic regression determined that impaired QoL (severe total MRS score ≥17) was associated with the use of alternatives therapies for menopause (OR: 1.47, 95% CI [1.22-1.76], p = 0.0001), the use of psychiatric drugs (OR: 1.57, 95% CI [1.29-1.90], p = 0.0001), attending a psychiatrist (OR: 1.66, 95% CI [1.41-1.96], p = 0.0001), being postmenopausal (OR: 1.48, 95% CI [1.29-1.69, p = 0.0001]), having 49 years or more (OR: 1.24, 95% CI [1.08-1.42], p = 0.001), living at high altitude (OR: 1.43, 95% CI [1.25-1.62, p = 0.0001]) and having a partner with erectile dysfunction (OR: 1.69, 95% CI [1.47-1.94, p = 0.0001]) or premature ejaculation (OR: 1.34, 95% CI [1.16-1.55, p = 0.0001]). Lower risk for impaired QoL was related to living in a country with a lower income (OR: 0.77, 95% CI [0.68-0.88], p = 0.0002), using HT (OR: 0.65, 95% CI [0.56-0.76], p = 0.0001) and engaging in healthy habits (OR: 0.59, 95% CI [0.50-0.69], p = 0.0001). Conclusion: To the best of our knowledge this is the first and largest study assessing QoL in a Latin American climacteric series with a high prevalence of impairment related to individual female and male characteristics and the demography of the studied population.
KW - Latin America
KW - Menopause
KW - Menopause rating scale
KW - Quality of life
UR - https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?partnerID=HzOxMe3b&scp=57849083867&origin=inward
UR - https://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.uri?partnerID=HzOxMe3b&scp=57849083867&origin=inward
U2 - 10.1016/j.maturitas.2008.09.026
DO - 10.1016/j.maturitas.2008.09.026
M3 - Article
C2 - 19010618
SN - 0378-5122
VL - 61
SP - 323
EP - 329
JO - Maturitas
JF - Maturitas
IS - 4
ER -