Self-assessed health and menopausal symptoms among 50-year-old Japanese women: cross-sectional surveys in Northern Kawasaki in 1998 and 2008.
OBJECTIVE
The aim of this study was to determine whether self-assessed health changed over the last decade in association with menopausal symptoms among community-dwelling Japanese women.


METHODS
Cross-sectional surveys of 50-year-old women living in Northern Kawasaki were conducted in 1998 (n = 1,492) and 2008 (n = 1,274). Data obtained from a questionnaire were self-assessed health, menopause awareness, 1-year recall of 10 subjective symptoms (Simplified Menopausal Index), and sociodemographic, lifestyle, and health characteristics. The prevalence of poor self-assessed health, menopause awareness, and subjective symptoms was compared between the surveys.


RESULTS
The percentage of premenopausal women increased from 51.7% in the 1998 survey to 64.8% in the 2008 survey (P < 0.001). The prevalence of menopause awareness decreased from 36.8% in the 1998 survey to 31.7% in the 2008 survey (P = 0.006). The prevalence of poor self-assessed health decreased from 13.9% in the 1998 survey to 10.8% in the 2008 survey (P = 0.013). Multiple logistic regression analysis showed that participants of the 2008 survey had a significantly lower risk for having poor self-assessed health than did participants of the 1998 survey. Menopause awareness, comorbidity, and body mass index of 18.5 kg/m2 or lower or 25.0 kg/m2 or greater were significantly associated with increased risk for having poor self-assessed health. The impact of menopause awareness on self-assessed health was 2.2 to 2.4 times greater in participants without comorbidity than in those with comorbidity.


CONCLUSIONS
There was a significant improvement in self-assessed health in parallel with a significant downward secular trend in the prevalence of menopause awareness among community-dwelling Japanese women. Women who felt themselves affected by menopause tended to perceive their own health as poor.
Suka
Machi
M
Department of Preventive Medicine, St. Marianna University School of Medicine, Kawasaki, Kanagawa, Japan. suka@marianna-u.ac.jp
Taniuchi
Asako
A
Kudo
Yoshiko
Y
Sato
Setsuko
S
Yoshida
Katsumi
K
Ishizuka
Bunpei
B
D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006304:Health Status; D006306:Health Surveys; D019584:Hot Flashes; D006801:Humans; D008593:Menopause; D008875:Middle Aged; D012720:Severity of Illness Index