Menopausal symptoms and the quality of life among pre/post menopausal women from rural area in Zagazig city

Introduction: "Menopause" denotes the final cessation of menstruation, either as a normal part of aging or as the result of surgical removal of both ovaries. The aim: this study aimed to investigate the impact of the menopausal symptoms on the quality of life of pre/post menopausal women from rural area, Zagazig city. Research design: a descriptive cross-sectional comparative study design was used in this study. Settings: This population based survey was conducted in one of rural district of Sheba, Zagazig city. The sample: consisted of 175; premenopausal (97) and postmenopausal (78) women whose ages ranged from 40-70 years old. Tools: data were collected by Menopause Rating Scale (MRS) and quality of life Brief (WHOQOL Brief). Results: the highest mean scores of menopausal symptoms were somatic symptoms and urogenital domains in postmenopausal women than in premenopausal women. There was a statistically significant difference between two studied groups in relation to their mean and standard deviation scores regarding their quality of life; physical, psychological and environmental domains. There was the significant negative correlation between MRS scores and WHOQOL-Brief scores in social, environmental domains, and overall mean score of quality of life for postmenopausal women. Conclusion: It can be concluded that post-menopausal women in the study subjects experience high prevalence of menopausal symptoms that adversely affected their quality of life. Recommendation: Further research addressing women's health needs is also essential for improving the quality of life of postmenopausal rural women. [Eman Elsayed Mohammed Elsabagh and Eman Shokry Abd Allah. Menopausal symptoms and the quality of life among pre/post menopausal women from rural area in Zagazig city. Life Sci J 2012;9(2):283-291]. (ISSN:1097-8135). http://www.lifesciencesite.com.45.