Menopause-specific questionnaire assessment in US population-based study shows negative impact on health-related quality of life.
OBJECTIVE
To use the Menopause-Specific Quality of Life Questionnaire (MENQOL) to assess the impact of menopausal symptoms on health-related quality of life in a large US population-based study.


METHODS
Participants were recruited from the US population through random-digit-dialing and probability sampling. Analyses included 2703 postmenopausal women 40-65 years old in our Menopause Epidemiology Study. Respondents answered a 30-min questionnaire, including the MENQOL.


RESULTS
Scores for each domain were: vasomotor: 3.2+/-2.2; psycho-social: 3.3+/-1.8; physical: 3.5+/-1.5; sexual: 2.9+/-2.1. There were significant differences in the MENQOL scores by age, smoking, exercise, education, employment status and BMI. Women aged 60-65 years (p<0.0001), with a bachelor's degree or higher level of education (p<0.0001), who exercised at least 3 days a week (p<0.0001), who had never smoked (p<0.0001), with a body mass index < or =25kg/m(2) (p<0.0001), and who had significantly lower scores indicating better quality of life. Hot flashes affected work (46.0%), social activities (44.4%), leisure activities (47.6%), sleep (82.0%), mood (68.6%), concentration (69.0%), sexual activity (40.9%), total energy level (63.3%) and overall quality of life (69.3%).


CONCLUSIONS
Symptoms experienced during menopause and socio-demographic characteristics affect the quality of life in postmenopausal women. Hot flashes impact the daily activities of most postmenopausal women, especially those with more frequent/severe symptoms. Treatments that safely and effectively treat these symptoms could improve quality of life among postmenopausal women.
Williams
Rachel E
RE
Worldwide Epidemiology, GlaxoSmithKline, PO Box 13398, Mailstop 17.2116, Five Moore Drive, Research Triangle Park, NC 27709-3398, USA. rachel.e.williams@gsk.com
Levine
Kristen B
KB
Kalilani
Linda
L
Lewis
Jacqueline
J
Clark
Richard V
RV
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D015992:Body Mass Index; D015444:Exercise; D005260:Female; D006306:Health Surveys; D019584:Hot Flashes / Q000150:complications / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D017698:Postmenopause / Q000502:physiology / Q000523:psychology; D011584:Psychology; D011788:Quality of Life; D012907:Smoking; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014481:United States; D014666:Vasomotor System