Study of Symptoms in Postmenopausal Women: A Hospital Based Study

Introduction: Menopausal symptoms, though well tolerated by some women, may be particularly troublesome in others. Severe symptoms can compromise the overall quality of life for those experiencing them. Material & Methods: A hospital based cross sectional study was done from a tertiary care hospital. The study was carried out from November 2014 to February 2015. A total of 152 women presenting to the outpatient department of the hospital were selected for the study using systematic random sampling technique. A pre-designed pre tested semi structured questionnaire was used for data collection. Results: Among the total 152 post menopausal women, prevalence of vasomotor symptoms including hot flushes & night sweats were observed in 38.6% & 43.7% of the study population respectively. Psychosomatic symptoms like sleep disturbances, muscle & joint pains were seen in almost half of the proportion. The overall prevalence of anxiety and depression was found to be 18.8% and 26.5% respectively. Conclusions: The present hospital based study among post menopausal women found a high prevalence of menopausal symptoms. Health education among women in the peri menopausal age group and specialist clinics at the primary & secondary health care level can probably cater the health care needs of the post menopausal women.