title: [Lifestyles and quality of life of post menopausal women].
abstract: BACKGROUND
  During menopause the quality of life of women can be seriously deteriorated and influenced by lifestyles.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To assess the prevalence of menopausal symptoms and their relationship with lifestyles and quality of life.
  
  
  METHODS
  The Menopause Rating Scale (MRS), a survey that measures menopausal symptoms and has questions related to lifestyles, was applied to 1023 women aged 54 ± 6 years (range 45 to 64 years), consulting in primary health care clinics. A multiple linear regression analysis was used to evaluate the association between menopausal symptoms and lifestyle.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Fifty six percent of women did not have a paid work, 64% were nonsmokers and 90% did not perform any physical exercise. The most frequent menopausal symptoms referred were muscle and joint ailments (85%) followed by mental and physical exhaustion (80%). Sedentary women, smokers or those who did not to have time for leisure activities showed worst quality of life scores.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Postmenopausal women with unhealthy lifestyles had the lower quality of life scores and more menopausal symptoms.
authors: Escuela de Obstetricia y Puericultura, Universidad de Santiago de Chile, Chile. fanny.lopez@usach.cl
authors: Fanny
authors: F
authors: López-Alegría
authors: Dino Roberto Soares
authors: DR
authors: De Lorenzi
mesh_terms: D002677:Chile / Q000453:epidemiology; D004812:Epidemiologic Methods; D005221:Fatigue / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D005260:Female; D019584:Hot Flashes / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D006801:Humans; D008019:Life Style; D008875:Middle Aged; D017698:Postmenopause / Q000502:physiology* / Q000523:psychology; D011788:Quality of Life / Q000523:psychology*