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VOLUME 5 , ISSUE 2 ( July-December, 2017 ) > List of Articles

ORIGINAL ARTICLE

A Study of the Age of Menopause and Menopausal Symptoms among Women in a Rural Area of Tamil Nadu, India

G Ganitha, PB Premalatha, Iyanar Kannan

Citation Information : Ganitha G, Premalatha P, Kannan I. A Study of the Age of Menopause and Menopausal Symptoms among Women in a Rural Area of Tamil Nadu, India. J South Asian Feder Menopause Soc 2017; 5 (2):87-91.

DOI: 10.5005/jp-journals-10032-1113

License: CC BY 3.0

Published Online: 01-07-2011

Copyright Statement:  Copyright © 2017; The Author(s).


Abstract

Aim

The aim of this study is to determine the age and symptoms of menopause, and attitude and perception of postmenopausal women toward menopause in a rural area of Tamil Nadu.

Materials and methods

This is a cross-sectional observational study of 500 women in a rural area of Tamil Nadu. Women aged 40 to 55 years who had attained natural menopause and had cessation of menses for at least 1 year were included in the study. Women who had attained surgical menopause or menopause secondary to medical illness were excluded from the study. A self-structured questionnaire was used to collect information.

Results

The mean age of attaining menopause was 45.75 ± 3.83 years; 87% women were symptomatic with at least one symptom. Majority of women (78.2%) had psychosomatic symptoms followed by vasomotor symptoms (55.8%); 68.4% women welcomed menopause with positive attitude; 19.4% women were indifferent and 12.2% women had negative attitude toward menopause. About 24% women felt that the symptoms of menopause were distressing; 23.2% women availed some form of treatment for their symptoms.

Conclusion

Many women are affected by menopausal symptoms. Some women are affected severely by these symptoms. Lack of awareness, economic factors, sociocultural factors, myths, and inaccessibility to health services can negatively affect the attitude of women toward menopause.

Clinical significance

Menopause is an important transitional phase of life in all women. The waning ovarian hormone level causes several symptoms, some of which can be distressing to some women. Age and symptoms of menopause are influenced by several factors. Attitude and perception of women toward menopause reflect the awareness and health care accessibility in the community. Creating awareness of menopausal symptoms can improve utilization of health services and the quality of life of postmenopausal women.

How to cite this article

Ganitha G, Premalatha PB, Kannan I. A Study of the Age of Menopause and Menopausal Symptoms among Women in a Rural Area of Tamil Nadu, India. J South Asian Feder Menopause Soc 2017;5(2):87-91.


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