Table I.
Base-line characteristics and quality of life in the intervention and control groups. QoL was estimated by means of the Short Form-36 quality of life (SF-36) score and the menopause-specific quality of life score (Women's Health Questionnaire (WHQ)).
| Intervention n = 74 | Control n = 77 | P for differencea | Missing (intervention, control) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Age, y | 54.5±3.8 | 54.2±3.7 | 0.73 | − |
| University degree, % | 24.3 | 26.0 | 0.82 | − |
| Employed, % | 83.6 | 77.6 | 0.36 | 1, 1 |
| Smoker or occasional smoker, % | 18.1 | 11.7 | 0.27 | 2, 0 |
| Weight, kg | 70.5 ±11.4 | 71.7±12.5 | 0.56 | − |
| Body mass index, kg/m2 | 26.3±4.0 | 26.9±4.3 | 0.42 | − |
| Follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), mmol/L | 65.4±21.2 | 60.2±24.1 | 0.16 | − |
| Thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH), mmol/L | 2.40±1.96 | 2.72±1.82 | 0.28 | − |
| Weekly frequency of hot flushes, % | ||||
| <29.5 | 31.9 | 37.8 | ||
| 30–49.5 | 31.9 | 23.0 | ||
| >50 | 36.2 | 39.2 | 0.48 | 5, 3 |
| Health-related quality of life | ||||
| SF-36 physical component score | ||||
| Physical functioning | 90 (20–100) | 90 (40–100) | 0.39 | − |
| Role–physical | 100 (0–100) | 100 (0–100) | 0.44 | 1, 1 |
| Bodily pain | 67.5 (0–100) | 67.5 (22.5–100) | 0.30 | 1, 0 |
| General health | 65 (10–95) | 65 (25–100) | 0.72 | 1, 0 |
| SF-36 mental component score | ||||
| Vitality | 65 (5–95) | 60 (0–90) | 0.28 | − |
| Social functioning | 87.5 (25–100) | 87.5 (12.5–100) | 0.33 | 1, 0 |
| Role–emotional | 100 (0–100) | 100 (0–100) | 0.60 | 1, 1 |
| Mental health | 76 (4–100) | 76 (24–100) | 0.46 | − |
| Menopause-specific quality of life | ||||
| Depressed mood | 0.14 (0–0.86) | 0.14 (0–0.86) | 0.18 | − |
| Somatic symptoms | 0.43 (0–1) | 0.43 (0–0.86) | 0.84 | 2, 1 |
| Memory/concentration | 0.67 (0–1) | 0.67 (0–1) | 0.44 | 1, 0 |
| Vasomotor symptoms | 1.00 (0–1) | 1.00 (0–1) | 0.54 | 2, 1 |
| Anxiety/fears | 0.13 (0–1) | 0.25 (0–0.75) | 0.59 | − |
| Sexual behaviour | 0.33 (0–1) | 0.33 (0–1) | 0.63 | 15, 26 |
| Sleep problems | 0.33 (0–1) | 0.67 (0–1) | 0.30 | 0, 0 |
| Menstrual symptoms | 0.33 (0–1) | 0.33 (0–1) | 0.73 | 2, 1 |
| Attractiveness | 0.00 (0–1) | 0.00 (0–1) | 0.53 | 3, 1 |
a
Differences between groups were tested by Student's t test (continuous variables, normal distributions), the Mann–Whitney U test (continuous variables, non-normal distributions), or the chi-square test (categorical or dichotomized variables). Values are shown as means ± SD, medians and ranges, or percentages.