Assessment of Menopausal Symptoms using Modified Menopause Rating Scale among women coming to MGM Medical College and Hospital, Aurangabad.

Abstract

Introduction: Menopause is defined as permanent cessation of menstruation at the end of reproductive life due to loss of ovarian follicular activity leading to a stage of estrogen deficiency with long term symptomatic and metabolic complications. Although the various menopausal symptoms have been studied, there is only a few documentations about the same in India. Hence, this study is done to document the various menopausal symptoms and their severity; to study the association of various factors with the severity of symptoms; and to assess the level of health awareness about menopause. Method: It is a cross-sectional study done over a period of 6 months wherein 151 postmenopausal women who had come to MGM MCHA were interviewed. The various menopausal symptoms and their severity were documented using a self-designed questionnaire and validated modified menopause rating scale. Test of significance was applied to check the association of various factors with the severity of the symptoms. The level of health awareness about menopause was also studied. Result: The mean age at menopause was 47.2318 ±0.667 years. The most prevalent symptoms reported were hot flushes (74, 49%), followed by irritability (73, 48.34%) and anxiety (67, 44.37%). There was significant association of lifestyle, parity, and duration since menopause with the severity of menopausal symptoms, whereas; there is no significant association between the age of women and the type of menopause with the severity of menopausal symptoms. Health awareness was poor among the postmenopausal women in relation to their symptoms, investigations and treatment of menopausal symptoms. Conclusion: Menopause is a neglected condition for most of the women. The study emphasizes that counselling is important to improve the overall state of the menopausal women. It also highlights that physical activity may play a protective role in decreasing the severity of the symptoms.

Keywords: menopause, menopause rating scale, menopausal symptoms, health awareness