Menopausal symptoms and knowledge towards daily life and hormone replacement therapy among menopausal women in Bangkok.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate prevalence and intensity of menopausal symptoms, knowledge towards daily life and hormone replacement therapy (HRT) among natural menopause women in Bangkok.


METHODS
Cross-sectional, descriptive study.


METHODS
One hundred and sixty two natural menopause women who attended the health seminars or exhibitions except topics about menopause and HRT in Siriraj Hospital from March - June 2005. Targeting women were asked to fill out the structured questionnaires. Data concerning personal history, menopausal symptoms, knowledge of menopause, HRT and daily life in menopause were collected.


RESULTS
A total of 148 questionnaires (91.4%) were completed for the analyses. Of 148 women, 141 (95.3%) had menopausal symptoms. The most common and most severe menopausal symptom was muscle and joint pains (84.5% and 23.0%, respectively). The majority of the women understood correctly regarding knowledge about menopause issue and daily life during menopause (80.6% and 89.2%, respectively). Although 51.1% of the women showed their knowledge about HRT correctly, only 8.1% were currently using HRT. The main reasons for this low percentage of HRT use were ability to tolerate the menopausal symptoms (49.0%) and lack of correct knowledge about HRT (48.9%).


CONCLUSIONS
The most common and also the most severe menopausal symptom in natural menopause women was muscle and joint pains. Most of them demonstrated their correct understandings about menopause issue and daily life in menopause and half of them demonstrated their correct understandings about HRT.
Chaopotong
Pattama
P
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Faculty of Medicine, Siriraj Hospital, Mahidol University, Bangkok 10700, Thailand.
Titapant
Vitaya
V
Boriboonhirunsarn
Dittakarn
D
D000328:Adult; D015914:Estrogen Replacement Therapy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008593:Menopause; D008875:Middle Aged; D010353:Patient Education as Topic; D011788:Quality of Life