title: Comparison of menopause healthcare considerations between Japanese and Filipino women living in local communities.
abstract: To investigate the involvement of psychological/social factors in the condition of climacteric disturbance in Japan and the Philippines, we examined the menopausal symptoms and psychological/social factors in menopausal women living in local communities and compared among both countries whether differences in culture, lifestyle, etc. affected the condition of climacteric disturbance. High percentages of Japanese women reported mental symptoms, while relatively high percentages of Filipino women also experienced motor neurological symptoms in addition to psychoneurological symptoms. Japanese and Filipino women were found to have different stressors: a high percentage of the Japanese women had problems involving human relationships, such as providing nursing care, while a high percentage of the Filipino women had household problems, including husband's health and financial problems. Stress severity was associated with SMI scores in both countries. A poorer marital relationship in Japan than in the Philippines and an association between marital relationship and SMI scores were found. The present study suggests the association of differences in psychological/social factors between Japanese and Filipino women with differences in menopausal symptoms.
authors: Department of International Health, Kobe University Graduate School of Health Sciences, Kobe, Japan. matsuoh@tiger.kobe-u.ac.jp
authors: Hiroya
authors: H
authors: Matsuo
authors: Rie
authors: R
authors: Yamanaka
authors: Naomi
authors: N
authors: Senba
authors: Ruth
authors: R
authors: Beltran
authors: Cecilia
authors: C
authors: Ladines-Llave
authors: Loudes
authors: L
authors: Blanco-Capito
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D044466:Asian People; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007564:Japan; D008393:Marriage / Q000208:ethnology / Q000523:psychology; D008593:Menopause / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000523:psychology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D010679:Philippines; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000208:ethnology