title: Do psycho-social factors contribute more to symptom reporting by middle-aged women than hormonal status?
abstract: Six hundred women aged between 45 and 54 were randomly selected from the electoral roll in Brisbane, Australia. A questionnaire addressing their symptoms, hormone status and psycho-social factors was successfully administered to 381 women (64% of the original sample; 83% of those contactable). Although cardiovascular symptoms were experienced by 25% of the sample, the most common (hot flushes) ranked only tenth on a list of recently experienced symptoms. The association of hormone status with symptoms was weak in comparison with other factors. Most symptoms were reported by women who were perimenopausal, had undergone a hysterectomy, or were currently using hormone replacement therapy. A poor mental health index was strongly associated with all groups reporting symptoms. It is concluded that clinicians responding to symptoms from middle-aged women should continue to address psychosocial factors just as vigorously as those related to their hormone status.
authors.affiliation: University of Queensland, Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Mater Mothers' Hospital, South Brisbane, Australia.
authors.forename: V M
authors.initials: VM
authors.lastname: O'Connor
authors.forename: C B
authors.initials: CB
authors.lastname: Del Mar
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sheehan
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Siskind
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Fox-Young
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Cragg
mesh_terms: D001294:Attitude to Health; D002979:Climacteric / Q000523:psychology*; D003863:Depression / Q000523:psychology; D015914:Estrogen Replacement Therapy / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007044:Hysterectomy / Q000523:psychology; D008875:Middle Aged; D011602:Psychophysiologic Disorders / Q000523:psychology*; D011793:Queensland; D012307:Risk Factors; D012917:Social Adjustment; D012931:Social Environment; D013001:Somatoform Disorders / Q000523:psychology*