Menopausal symptoms among middle-aged women and care providers’ readiness to deliver menopausal services: an observational study in Kavrepalanchok, Nepal

Figures & data

Table 1: Socioeconomic characteristics of the women who participated in the quantitative survey (n = 252)

Characteristics	Number	Percentage
Age (in years)
40-44	79	31.3
45-49	70	27.8
50-54	61	24.2
55-59	42	16.7
Mean ±SD	48.24±5.69
Ethnicity
Brahmin/Chhetri	123	48.8
Janajatis	110	43.7
Dalit	19	7.5
Marital status
Married and living with husband	201	79.8
Widowed	37	14.7
Separated	14	5.6
Educational achievement
Illiterate	87	34.5
Literate	111	44.0
Up to secondary level	44	17.5
Above secondary level	10	4.0
Occupation
Farmer	111	44.0
Shopkeeper	53	21.0
Housewife	50	19.8
Formal job holder	18	7.1
Wage labourer and similar other	20	7.9

Table 2. Prevalence of self-reported menopausal symptoms through the menopausal transition

Menopausal symptoms	Prevalence n (%) by stages of the menopausal transition
	Premenopause n=52	Perimenopausal n=79	Postmenopause n=121	Total n=252
Somatic
Hot flushes, sweating	28 (53.8)	48 (60.8)	76 (62.3)	152 (60.3)
Heart discomfort	27 (51.9)	57 (72.2)	85 (69.7)	168 (66.7)
Sleeping problems	27 (51.9)	57 (72.2)	96 (78.7)	179 (71.0)
Joint and muscular discomfort	47 (90.4)	62 (78.5)	106 (86.9)	214 (84.9)
Urogenital
Sexual problems	42 (80.8)	60 (75.9)	80 (65.6)	181 (71.8)
Dryness of vagina	31 (59.6)	54 (55.7)	67 (54.9)	151 (59.9)
Bladder problems	23 (44.2)	49 (62.0)	74 (60.7)	145 (57.5)
Psychological
Depressive mood	37 (71.2)	68 (86.1)	91 (74.6)	195 (77.4)
Irritability	38 (73.1)	67 (84.8)	84 (68.9)	188 (74.6)
Anxiety	37 (71.2)	61 (77.2)	81 (66.4)	178 (70.6)
Physical and mental exhaustion	38 (73.1)	20 (25.3)	100 (82.0)	196 (77.8)

Table 3. Severity of self-reported menopausal symptoms by women’s socio-demographic characteristics (n=252)

Characteristics	MRS score <16 (Not likely to require health care support) n (%)	95% CI	MRS score ≥16 (Likely to require health care support) n (%)	95% CI	Total
Age
40-49	86 (57.7)	49.8, 65.6	63 (42.3)	34.4, 50.2	149
50-59	42 (40.8)	31.3, 50.3	61 (59.2)	50.5, 69.4	103
Menopausal stage
Premenopausal	34 (65.4)	52.5, 78.3	18 (34.6)	21.7, 47.5	52
Perimenopausal	34 (43.6)	32.6, 54.6	44 (56.4)	45.4, 67.4	78
Postmenopausal	60 (49.2)	40.3, 58.1	62 (50.8)	41.9, 59.7	122
Ethnicity
Brahmin/Chhetri	60 (48.8)	40.0, 57.6	63 (51.2)	42.4, 60.1	123
Janajatis	62 (56.4)	47.2, 65.7	48 (43.6)	34.4, 52.9	110
Dalit	6 (31.6)	10.7, 52.5	13 (68.4)	47.5, 89.3	19
Marital status
Married and living with husband	104 (51.7)	44.8, 58.6	97 (48.3)	41.4, 55.2	201
Not living with husband (divorced, separated, widowed)	24 (47.1)	33.4, 60.8	27 (52.9)	39.2, 66.6	51
Residential location
Rural	76 (45.8)	38.2, 53.4	90 (54.2)	46.6, 61.8	166
Urban	52 (60.5)	50.2, 70.8	34 (39.5)	29.2, 49.8	86
Educational attainment
Illiterate	45 (51.7)	41.2, 62.2	42 (48.3)	37.8, 58.8	87
Literate and up to primary level completed	60 (46.2)	37.7, 54.8	70 (53.8)	45.3, 62.4	130
Secondary and post-secondary level qualifications	23 (65.7)	50.0, 81.4	12 (34.3)	18.6, 50.1	35
Occupation
Farmer	50 (45.0)	35.8, 54.2	61 (55.0)	45.8, 64.2	111
Shopkeeper	33 (62.3)	49.3, 75.3	20 (37.7)	24.7, 50.7	53
Housewife	23 (46.0)	32.2, 59.8	27 (54.0)	40.2, 67.8	50
Formal job holder	12 (66.7)	44.9, 88.5	6 (33.3)	11.5, 55.1	18
Wage labourer and similar other	10 (50.0)	28.1, 71.9	10 (50)	28.1, 71.9	20

Table 4. Severity of menopausal symptoms by the women’s health status and health behaviours (n=252).

Characteristics	MRS score <16 (Not likely to require health care support) n (%)	95% CI	MRS score ≥16 (Likely to require health care support ) n (%)	95% CI	Total
Perceived health status
Good	63(69.2)	59.7, 78.7	28 (30.8)	21.3, 40.3	91
Medium	32 (41.0)	30.1, 51.9	46 (59.0)	48.1, 69.9	78
Bad (need health care)	33 (39.8)	29.3, 50.3	50 (60.2)	49.7, 70.7	83
Pre-existing chronic diseases^a
Yes	35 (37.2)	27.4, 47.0	59 (62.8)	53.0, 72.6	94
No	93 (58.9)	51.2, 66.6	65 (41.1)	33.4, 48.8	158
Pre-existing reproductive morbidities^b
Yes	38 (37.6)	28.2, 47.0	63 (62.4)	53.0, 71.9	101
No	90 (59.6)	51.8, 67.4	61 (40.4)	32.6, 48.2	151
Tobacco use^c
Yes	31 (43.7)	32.2, 55.2	40 (56.3)	44.8, 67.8	71
No	97 (53.6)	46.4, 60.9	84 (46.4)	39.2, 53.7	181
Alcohol use^d
Yes	74 (50.0)	42.0, 58.0	74 (50.0)	42.0, 58.0	148
No	41 (53.2)	42.1, 64.3	36 (46.8)	35.7, 57.9	77
Use of temporary hormonal contraceptive^e
Use
Yes	25 (52.1)	38.0, 66.2	23 (47.9)	33.8, 62.0	48
No	103 (50.5)	43.7, 57.3	101 (49.5)	42.7, 56.3	204

a. diabetes, hypertension, thyroid disorders, asthma or cancer that had been diagnosed by a health professional

b. abnormal, foul-smelling discharge from the vagina; lower abdominal pain; redness and itching around the vulva; abnormal vaginal bleeding

c. currently consuming smoking or smokeless tobacco on a daily basis

d. currently consuming any form of alcohol with frequency ranging between once in a month to daily

e. currently using Depo-Provera or implant or the oral contraceptive pill

Data availability

De-identified data will be available from the corresponding author upon justifiable request.