The associations between menopausal symptoms and sleep quality in Spanish postmenopausal women

Abstract

Objectives: Around the menopause, sleep disturbances frequently occur or worsen and are associated with decreased health quality and physical and psychological problems. The aim of this study was to analyze sleep quality and its association with the impact of menopausal symptoms in Spanish postmenopausal women.

Methods: A total of 278 postmenopausal women (age 60.95 ± 8.01 years) participated in this cross-sectional study. The Medical Outcomes Study Sleep Scale (MOS-SS) and the Menopause Rating Scale (MRS) were used to analyze sleep quality and severity of menopausal symptoms, respectively. Anxiety and depression were measured using the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale.

Results: The linear regression showed that a greater impact of menopausal symptoms (MRS total score) was associated with worse scores regarding sleep adequacy (p < 0.001, R² = 0.056), snoring (p = 0.020, R² = 0.036), awaken short of breath (p < 0.001, R² = 0.089), and quantity of sleep (p < 0.001, R² = 0.075) domains. Anxiety (p < 0.001) and worse somatic symptoms (p = 0.001) were related to greater sleep disturbances (R² = 0.164). We also found relationships of heightened psychological symptoms (p < 0.001) and low physical activity level (p = 0.003) with increased daytime somnolence (R² = 0.064). Finally, higher MRS total score and anxiety levels were associated with worse sleep quality assessed by MOS-SS Sleep Problems Index I (R² = 0.179, p < 0.001 and p = 0.001, respectively) and Sleep Problems Index II (R² = 0.146, p < 0.001 and p = 0.011, respectively).

Conclusions: Anxiety and severity of menopausal symptoms were associated with poorer sleep quality. Furthermore, low physical activity level and worse psychological symptoms in menopause were predictors for increased somnolence. Therefore, screening for these factors in postmenopausal women is important, since they may be susceptible for intervention.

Chinese abstract

在女性围绝经期, 睡眠障碍经常出现或恶化, 并且与健康质量下降以及身体和心理问题相关。 本研究的目的是分析西班牙绝经后妇女睡眠质量及其与更年期症状的影响之间的关系。方法：共有278名绝经后妇女（年龄60.95±8.01岁）参加了这项横断面研究。医学结果研究睡眠量表（MOS-SS）和更年期评定量表（MRS）分别用于分析睡眠质量和更年期症状的严重程度。同时使用医院焦虑和抑郁量表测量焦虑和抑郁。结果：线性回归显示更年期症状（MRS总分）越严重与睡眠充足性评分较差（p <0.001, R² = 0.056）, 打鼾（p = 0.020, R² = 0.036）, 窒息苏醒（p <0.001, R² = 0.089）和睡眠量（p <0.001, R² = 0.075）阈值越相关。 焦虑（p <0.001）和躯体症状严重（p = 0.001）与睡眠障碍严重程度相关（R² = 0.164）。我们还发现心理症状加重（p <0.001）和低体力活动水平（p = 0.003）与白天嗜睡增加（R² = 0.064）的关系。 最后, 较高的MRS总分和焦虑水平与MOS-SS睡眠问题指数I（分别为R² = 0.179, p <0.001和p = 0.001）和睡眠问题指数II（R² = 0.146, 分别p <0.001和p = 0.011）评估的睡眠质量较差相关。结论：焦虑和更年期症状严重程度与睡眠质量较差相关。 此外, 更年期体力活动水平低和心理症状加重是嗜睡增加的影响因素。 因此, 在绝经后妇女中筛查这些可能易于干预的因素很重要。

Keywords:

• Sleep quality
• menopausal symptoms
• quality of life
• anxiety

Potential conflict of interest

The authors claim to have no conflict of interest.

Additional information

Funding

This study was supported in part by University of Jaén [project UJA2016/08/08].