title: Menopausal symptoms: is spirituality associated with the severity of symptoms?
abstract: The aim of this study was to explore whether spirituality was associated with menopausal symptoms. Menopausal symptoms, spirituality, health and menopausal status, and socio-demographic variables were assessed in a community sample of 710 peri- and postmenopausal women. A structural model was explored using structural equation modeling. The results evidence spirituality as a significant contributor regarding the severity of most menopausal symptoms. Among others, spirituality had a significant weight in depressive mood (β = -.414; p < .001), anxiety (β = -.308; p < .001), cognitive impairment (β = -.287; p < .001), aches/pain (β = -.148; p < .001), vasomotor (β = -.125; p = .005) and sexual symptoms (β = -.211; p < .001). Some socio-demographic variables, as well as perceived health, also predicted the menopausal symptoms' severity. Therefore, spirituality can have a positive impact on the menopausal symptoms' reporting.
authors.affiliation: Psychology and Health Research Unit, ISPA - Instituto Universitário, Rua Jardim do Tabaco, 34, 1149-041, Lisbon, Portugal, filipa_pimenta@ispa.pt.
authors.forename: Filipa
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Pimenta
authors.forename: João
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Maroco
authors.forename: Catarina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Ramos
authors.forename: Isabel
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Leal
mesh_terms: D001294:Attitude to Health; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D008593:Menopause / Q000523:psychology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D029181:Spirituality; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires