Abstract
Objectives
To study the age at menopause, reported symptoms of menopause, and treatment-seeking behavior of urban women.
Methods
This was a cross-sectional study on purposively selected 156 women from four different sites in Pune city between 40 and 55 years of age. Pretested semi-structured interview schedule was used for data collection. Data analysis was done using SPSS software and the correlation between menopausal symptoms and sociodemographic characteristics was tested using chi-square test.
Results
Mean age at menopause was 45.8 years. Each respondent reported nearly four symptoms. Most frequently reported symptoms were psychological (n=154) vasomotor (n=78) followed by urogenital (n=68) symptoms. Nuclear family and income levels found to have significant correlation with menopausal symptoms. Less than half (43%) patients used modern medicine while 30% did not seek any treatment.
Conclusion
It is necessary to critically inspect health needs of women in menopausal transition and incorporate specific components in the programs.
Keywords: menopause, health problems, health care
Full Text
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