Published date: Oct 15 2018

Journal Title: KnE Life Sciences

Issue title: Sustainability and Resilience Conference: Mitigating Risks and Emergency Planning – Life Sciences Track

Pages: 61–77

DOI: 10.18502/kls.v4i6.3091

N Gayathripriyagnarayanan@uob.edu.bh

N Alasmar

M Omar

Kout Khalid

H Saleh

H Mohammed

K Rajeswari

G Sumathi

Menopause is a normal physiological process of the permanent cessation of ovarian hormone reproduction, thereby offending the regular menstrual cycle. Critical period in women’s life occurs 40 to 60 years. Frequently reported symptoms are physiological disturbances, psychological complaints including mood swings and& other changes that may impair the overall quality of life. Menopausal symptoms significantly reduce the Quality of Life (QOL) and further worsens with more severity of the condition. The aim of this study was to assess the menopausal awareness and related symptoms that affects the quality of life. Methods: A cross-sectional community survey design was adopted among 128 women through convenience sampling by using Menopause awareness scale and MenQol. Results: The domain-wise prevalence of symptoms score on vasomotor was 51.5%(66), psychosocial 35.2%(45), 44.5%(57), sexual 25.8%(33) and others 44.5%(57). Overall score was 40.6%(52). In relation to menopause awareness, low 7.8 % (10), Moderate 82.0% (105) and high 10.2%(13).
Conclusion: Menopause awareness programs need to be initiated at the community level for better health and the Quality of Life.

Keywords: Menopause, Bahraini women, Menopause related QOL, Awareness

[1] Aida Al Dughaither, Hind Al Mutairy, Mohammed Al Ateeq. (2015) Menopausal symptoms and quality of life among Saudi women visiting primary care clinics in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. International Journal of Women’s Health, Vol. 7, 645-53. https://doi.org/10.2147/IJWH.S84709.


[2] Blümel J.E., Chedraui P, Baron G, Belzares E, Bencosme A, et.al.,(2011) Collaborative Group for Research of the Climacteric in Latin America (REDLINC). A large multinational study of vasomotor symptom prevalence, duration, and impact on quality of life in middle-aged women., 18(7):778-85. doi: 10.1097/gme.0b013e318207851d.


[3] Chedraui P, San Miguel G, Avila C.(2009) Quality of life impairment during female menopausal transition is related to personal and partner factors. Gynecol Endocrinol, 25(2):130-135


[4] Chedraui P1, Hidalgo L, Chavez D, Morocho N, Alvarado M.(2007) Menopausal symptoms and associated risk factors among postmenopausal women screened for the metabolic syndrome, 275(3):161-8.


[5] Chedraui P, Pérez-López FR, Mendoza M, Morales B, Martinez MA et.al.,(2010) Severe menopausal symptoms in middle-aged women are associated to female and male factors, 281(5):879-85. doi: 10.1007/s00404-009-1204-z.


[6] Chou M.F., Wun Y.T., Pang S.M.,(2014) Menopausal symptoms and the menopausal rating scale among midlife Chinese women in Macau, China. Women Health, 54(2):115-26. doi: 10.1080/03630242.2013.871767.


[7] Fatemeh Bakouei, Zahra Basirat, Hajar Salmalian, Shabnam Sareh Bakouei (2013).Assessment of women’s awareness level about symptoms and complications of menopause and methods to their prevention. Journal of local, global Health Science,:6. http://dx.doi.org/10.5339/jlghs.2013.6


[8] Hassan M. A l-Musa. et al. (2017) The prevalence of symptoms experienced during menopause, influence of socio-demographic variables on symptoms and quality of life among women at Abha, Saudi Arabia, Research Article - Biomedical Research, 28, Issue 6.


[9] Hilditch JR, Lewis J, Peter A, Maris B, Ross A. et.al.,(1996). A Menopausespecific Quality of life questionnaire: development and psychometric properties. Maturitas,24: 161-75.


[10] Hoda A. E. Mohamed, Sahar M, Lamadah, Luma Gh. Al. Zamil. (2014) Quality of Life among of Menopausal Women in Saudi Arabia. Int J Reprod Contracept Obstet Gynecol, 3(3):552-561 www.ijrcog.org


[11] Karmakar N, Majumdar S, Dasgupta A, Das S. (2017) Quality of life among menopausal women: A community-based study in a rural area of West Bengal. J Midlife Health. 8(1):21-27. doi: 10.4103/jmh.JMH_78_16.


[12] Nanette Santoro, C. Neill Epperson, Sarah B. Mathews.(2016) Menopausal Symptoms and Their Management. Endocrinol Metab Clin North Am., 44(3): 497–515. doi: 10.1016/j.ecl.2015.05.001


[13] Olaolorun F.M, Lawoyin T.O.(2009) Experience of menopausal symptoms by women in an urban community in Ibadan, Nigeria. Menopause, 16(4):822-30. doi: 10.1097/gme.0b013e318198d6e7.


[14] Pérez-López FR1, Fernández-Alonso AM, Trabalón-Pastor M, Vara C, Chedraui. P. (2012).MenopAuse RIsk Assessment (MARIA) Research GroupAssessment of sexual function and related factors in mid-aged sexually active Spanish women with the six-item Female Sex Function Index. Menopause. 19(11):1224-30.
doi:10.1097/gme.0b013e3182546242.


[15] Reda R. Ali, Sayed. A Mohamed Taha, Manal F. MoustafaSahar F.El saied (2015) Assessment the Menopausal Symptoms of Women by Using the Menopausal Rating Scale In Qena City IOSR Journal of Nursing and Health Science (IOSR-JNHS), 4(2): 79- 88.


[16] Sievert L.L, Flanagan E.K.(2005) Geographical distribution of hot flash frequencies: considering climatic influences. Am J Phys Anthropol.128(2):437–443. [PubMed]


[17] Solues M.R, Sherman S, Parrott E, Rebar R, Santoro N.(2001) Executive summary, stages of reproductive aging workshop (STRAW). Fertil Steril. 8:874–878.


[18] Sudeshna Ray. (2012) An assessment of QOL and its determining factors of post menopausal women in a rural area of West Bengal, India: A multivariate analysis. International Journal of Medicine and Public Health. 2 (4).


[19] Varuna Pathak, Neetu Ahirwar, Shruti Ghate. (2017) Study to assess knowledge, attitude and practice regarding menopause among menopausal women attending outdoor in tertiary care centre. Int J Reprod Contracept Obstet Gynecol, 6(5):1848-1853 www.ijrcog.org.


[20] William R, Levine K, Kalini L, Lewis J, Clark R. Res. 200;9 Menopause –Specific Questionnaire assessment in US population-based study shows negative impact on Health related Quality of life.Maturitas, 62(2):153-159.


[21] Waidysakera H, Wijewardena K, Linmark G, Naessen T. (2009) Menopausal symptoms and Quality of Life during the menopausal transition in Sri Lankan women. Menopause, 16(1): 164-170.


[22] World Health Organization. Research on Menopause in the 1990s: Report of WHO Scientific Group. WHO Technical Report Series 866. Geneva: World Health Organization; 1996.

[23] Zain A. Al-Safi, Nanette Santoro. (2014). Menopausal hormone therapy and menopausal symptoms. Fertility and Sterility®, 101(4), Copyright ©2014 American Society for Reproductive Medicine, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.fertnstert.2014.02.032.