The prevalence and determinants of genitourinary syndrome of menopause in Chinese mid-life women: a single-center study

Abstract

Objective: This study aimed to explore the prevalence and determinants of genitourinary syndrome of menopause (GSM) in Chinese mid-life women.

Methods: A cross-sectional single-center study was performed among 40–65-year-old women who participated in physical examinations at Shanghai Jiao Tong University Affiliated Sixth People’s Hospital from December 2015 to December 2016. The participating women were questioned about their genitourinary symptoms, and the relationships between these symptoms and the women’s demographic characteristics were evaluated.

Results: The prevalence of GSM was 30.8%, the most frequent symptom was decreased sexual desire (18.4%), and the frequency of vulvovaginal symptoms and lower urinary tract symptoms was 17.5% and 14.8%, respectively. In addition, most of the symptoms were mild. In postmenopausal women, the prevalences of GSM and the three aforementioned symptoms were higher than those in perimenopausal women (p < 0.05). Based on binary logistic regression analysis, GSM was found to be associated with postmenopause (p = 0.007; odds ratio (OR) 1.52), at least two abortions (p = 0.035; OR 1.42), body mass index (BMI) ≥ 30 kg/m² (p = 0.032; OR 1.91) and diabetes (p = 0.041; OR 1.94).

Conclusions: GSM is common in Chinese mid-life women, and associations between GSM and postmenopause, abortion, BMI and diabetes were identified. Health-care practitioners should actively discuss urogenital symptoms with middle-aged female patients and take appropriate interventions to improve the health of their urogenital tract and quality of life.

Keywords:

• Genitourinary syndrome
• menopause
• mid-life
• prevalence
• Chinese
• cross-section

Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank all participants and staff in this study, and thank the Science and Technology Commission of Shanghai Municipality and Shanghai Municipal Commission of Health and Family Planning for their support.

Conflict of interest

The authors declare that there are no conflicts of interest.

Source of funding

Science and Technology Commission of Shanghai Municipality (15411950202) and Shanghai Municipal Commission of Health and Family Planning (GWIV-15).