Factors Affecting Quality of Life in Postmenopausal Women

Background and Aim : Background: Quality of life (QoL) after menopause could be influenced by a hostof personal and social factors. The aim of this study was to determine the factors that affect QoL amongpostmenopausal women.Methods : This is a cross-sectional study of 405 postmenopausal women, aged 40 to 65 years, who residedin the cities of Chalous and Noshahr, Iran. After a multi-stage randomized sampling, data were collectedthrough interviews with the participants using the World Health Organization Quality of Life-BRIEF(WHOQOL-BRIEF), the Menopause Rating Scale (MRS), and a researcher-designed questionnaire. Thedata were analyzed using the statistics software SPSS 18.Results : The participants’ mean total score of QoL was 54.53±7.18, with the highest and lowest scoresobtained in the physical-health and psychological domains, respectively. A negative correlation was foundbetween the scores of QoL (total and all subscales) and the MRS total scores. The total scores of QoL werein a negative correlation with duration of menopause (r=-0.127,P=0.010), gravida (r=-0.177,P<0.001),parity (r=-0.165,P=0.001), frequency of stillbirth (r=-0.104,P=0.037), frequency of vaginal delivery (r=-0.161,P=0.001), and waist-to-hip ratio (r=-0.195,P<0.001). The QoL total scores had a positive correlationwith the educational level of the participants (r=0.207,P<0.001) and that of their spouses (r=0.160,P=0.001)along with their level of monthly family income (r=0.218,P<0.001). Multiple-linear-regression analysisshowed that income adequacy, waist-to-hip ratio, and the total score of MRS were predictors of the totalscore of QoL.Conclusion : Personal and social factors along with the severity of menopausal symptoms affect QoL postmenopause.These factors need to have a bearing on any effort to improve QoL among postmenopausalwomen.

کلیدواژه ها:

Menopause ، Quality of life ، Effective factors