title: The cross-sectional legacy: an introduction to longitudinal studies of the climacteric.
abstract: Hitherto the bulk of psychosocial and sociological research on the menopause has been based on cross-sectional studies, in which the research strategy has been to compare women of different ages and/or different menopausal status by reference to various parameters. This paper summarizes the main findings of these studies, which relate to a variety of countries. A consistent finding has been that much of the variance in the symptoms and complaints reported by women during the climacteric can in fact be accounted for by a number of different adverse sociodemographic and psychosocial factors. It is postulated that the mechanism whereby these factors exercise their effect can best be conceptualized in terms of a vulnerability model. Although cross-sectional studies, have obvious limitations, their findings have now been complemented by those from a number of ongoing longitudinal studies in which the same cohort of women is being followed through this transitional period of their lives.
authors.affiliation: Psychology Department, Gartnavel Royal Hospital, Glasgow, U.K.
authors.forename: J G
authors.initials: JG
authors.lastname: Greene
mesh_terms: D002979:Climacteric; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008393:Marriage; D008875:Middle Aged; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D013315:Stress, Psychological