PSYCHOLOGICAL WELL-BEING, MIDLIFE AND THE MENOPAUSE

Few studies of women's health in the menopausal years have formally assessed well being. The present study aimed to determine whether well-being during mid-life related to menopausal status, social circumstance, health status, interpersonal stress, attitudes and lifestyle behaviours. A random sample of 2000 Melbourne women aged 45-55 years were sought by random digital telephone dialling. A response rate of 70.6% was achieved. Interviews conducted on the telephone included a well-being scale - the Affectometer 2. The final data set, comprising 1503 individuals, was subjected to analyses of variance. Menopausal status did not significantly affect well-being. Well-being was found to be significantly related to current health status variables of general psychosomatic symptoms, general respiratory symptoms, history of premenstrual complaints, overall health assessment and interpersonal stress. Attitudes to ageing and to menopause were also significantly related to well-being scores. Lifestyle behaviours of smoking, exercise and marital status were also significantly related to well-being. Thus well-being of urban Australian-born, mid-aged women was related to current health status, psychosocial and lifestyle variables rather than to endocrine changes of the menopause.