Self-rated health, life satisfaction and personal characteristics of post-menopausal women under estrogen replacement therapy.
OBJECTIVE
To describe the prevalence of oestrogen replacement therapy (ERT)-use among post-menopausal women in relation with personal and socio-economic characteristics and to examine the association of ERT-use with self-rated health and selected aspects of life satisfaction.


METHODS
Population survey data were derived from a cohort study of 511 Bernese women, aged 55-65 years. Data were collected by means of telephone interviews. Overall prevalence of ERT-use, and selected associations with personal and socio-economic characteristics were investigated using descriptive statistical methods and logistic regression. The relations of ERT-use with five self-reported health measures were explored using Spearman's correlation coefficients. The associations of ERT-use with six dichotomous variables on satisfaction with various aspects of life were tested with chi-square tests in cross tabulations.


RESULTS
The overall prevalence of self reported ERT-use was 17.6%. ERT was more prevalent women younger than 61 years than in women in the older age group. Women with a body mass index (BMI) under 25 reported ERT-use significantly more frequently than women with higher BMI (OR=3.16, CI 1.87-5.34). ERT-use was more prevalent in women with relatively high education: OR=2.01, CI 1.18-4.00. The self-reported health measures and the satisfaction items were not significantly associated with ERT-use.


CONCLUSIONS
ERT-use among post-menopausal women was found to be associated with higher educational level and lower BMI. ERT-users did not report better health or life-satisfaction.
Duetz
M S
MS
Unit for Health Research, Departement of Social and Preventive Medicine, University of Bern, Niesenweg 6, 3012, Bern, Switzerland. duetz@ispm.unibe.ch
Abel
T
T
Meier
C
C
Niemann
S
S
D000368:Aged; D001294:Attitude to Health; D015914:Estrogen Replacement Therapy; D005260:Female; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D010549:Personal Satisfaction; D017698:Postmenopause / Q000523:psychology*; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D013557:Switzerland