Prevalence and Associated Factors of Menopausal Symptoms Among Women

Abstract

Background: Menopause is the transitional change in women from the reproductive to non-reproductive stage, a phenomenon unique to women. A variety of symptoms are present as part of this transition, brought by changes in female reproductive hormones, estrogen and progesterone. These symptoms include a range of physical symptoms of hot flushes, night sweats, irregular menstruation to depression, and insomnia. This study aimed to find out the menopausal symptoms and its associated factors among women in Dhorpatan Municipality, Baglung, Nepal.
Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among menopausal women of three wards of Dhorpatan Municipality between the months of Chaitra and Bhadra, after approval from the Institutional Review Committee. A simple random sampling was used. This study involves 266 women who are willing to participate in the study and have given written consent.
Results: Among the 266 respondents, 52.3% were aware of their symptoms. Among those with menopausal symptoms, 25.9% experience hot flashes, 74.1% have sweating, 29.5% report vaginal dryness, 38.1% mention heart discomfort, 37.4% face anxiety, and 19.4% deal with depressive mood during menopause. Education, marital status, number of children, regular physical exercise, and utilization of health services were the factors that were significantly associated with menopausal symptoms.
Conclusions: About half of the respondents experienced menopausal symptoms, with most common being sweating, heart discomfort, anxiety, vaginal dryness, hot flashes and depression. Education, physical activity, and use of health services were linked to these symptoms. Local authorities should organize regular health camps, and women should be encouraged to discuss their issues.
Keywords: factors; menopause; menopausal symptoms; Nepal; prevalence.