Hormonal therapy in menopausal transition: implications for improvement of health-related quality of life

Abstract

The study aim was to assess scores of the Menopause Rating Scale (MRS) among women who use and desire to use hormonal therapy (HT), as well as to evaluate factors contributing to HT use and desire to use HT among women in menopausal transition. A total of 513 mid-aged women participated in the study. Data were collected using socio-demographic questionnaire, MRS and Beck Depression Inventory. The prevalence of current HT use was 9.7%, while 4.5% of women who did not use HT expressed a desire to start using HT. The MRS cutoff score for HT use was 10.5 and 11.5 among those who desire to use HT. Living in the central city districts, having lower body mass index, younger age at menopause, more gynecological illnesses, and worse MRS were associated with HT use. Living in the central city districts, having fewer births, more gynecological and chronic illnesses and having more depressive symptoms were associated with the desire to use HT. Mid-aged women who perceive their quality of life as poor due to climacteric symptoms should be advised to consider HT to improve their health status and everyday functioning.

摘要

本研究的目的是对应用和希望应用激素治疗（HT）的女性进行更年期评定量表（MRS）得分评估, 以及评估促成绝经过渡期的女性中应用HT和希望应用HT的影响因素。共有513名中年女性参加了这项研究。使用社会人口统计学问卷, MRS和贝克抑郁量表收集数据。当前应用HT为9.7％, 而在没有应用HT的女性中有4.5％表示希望开始应用HT。应用HT女性的MRS评分为10.5, 希望应用HT的女性评分为11.5。生活在中心城区的女性, 体重指数较低, 绝经年龄较小, 妇科疾病较多, MRS评分较差与这些都与HT的应用有关。生活在中心城区的女性, 较少生育, 有更多妇科和慢性病以及抑郁症状与这些因素与女性有应用HT的愿望有关。对于因出现更年期症状而生活质量较差的中年妇女, 应该建议她们考虑使用HT改善其健康状况和生活质量。

The Chinese abstracts are translated by Prof. Dr. Xiangyan Ruan and her team: Beijing Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100026, China.

Keywords:

• Menopause
• hormone therapy
• symptoms
• women’s health

Acknowledgments

The authors would like to express their gratitude to two Community Health Centers in Belgrade (‘Palilula’ and ‘Zemun’) for allowing us to conduct this study using their patients and facilities. The authors would also like to thank all participants for taking interest in our study.

Disclosure statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Additional information

Funding

Tatjana Gazibara receives grant from the Ministry of Education and Science of the Republic of Serbia [No. 175087] for other projects.