title: IMS study of climate, altitude, temperature and vasomotor symptoms in the United Arab Emirates.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To examine the relationships between temperature, season (summer versus winter), lifestyle, health, mood, beliefs, and experience of hot flushes and night sweats (HFNS), amongst mid-aged women living in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
  
  
  METHODS
  The UAE climate is hyper-arid, being a hot desert climate, with warm winters and hot summers. A total of 372 peri- and postmenopausal women, aged from 45 to 55 years, from urban UAE regions were included. Data were collected during both summer and winter months. Participants completed questionnaires eliciting information about sociodemographics, HFNS (prevalence, frequency and problem-rating), health and lifestyle (body mass index (BMI), diet, exercise), mood (Women's Health Questionnaire) and menopause attributions and beliefs (Menopause Representations Questionnaire).
  
  
  RESULTS
  HFNS were currently being experienced by 46.5% of women, with an average weekly frequency of five and problem-rating of 5.7/10. Seasonal variation in temperature was not associated with prevalence, frequency or problem-rating. Hot flush prevalence was associated with poor health, life satisfaction, mood, employment, lower BMI and diet. Higher frequency was associated with higher BMI and more years since the last period. HFNS were more problematic mainly for women who reported lower life satisfaction and held more negative beliefs about the menopause.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In this UAE study, temperature and seasonal temperature variation did not appear to influence HFNS-reporting, but health, life satisfaction, BMI, beliefs and lifestyle factors partially explained women's experiences of menopausal symptoms. A qualitative study might provide further information about the meanings of HFNS and menopause amongst UAE women.
authors.affiliation: Writing Research Group of the Council of Affiliated Menopause Societies for the International Menopause Society Study (IMS-CAT).
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Stefanopoulou
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Gupta
authors.forename: R Mohamed
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Mostafa
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Nosair
authors.forename: Z
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Mirghani
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Moustafa
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Al Kusayer
authors.forename: D W
authors.initials: DW
authors.lastname: Sturdee
authors.forename: M S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Hunter
mesh_terms: D000531:Altitude; D015992:Body Mass Index; D002980:Climate; D003469:Culture; D004644:Emotions / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D054624:Health Status Disparities; D019584:Hot Flashes / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology; D006801:Humans; D008019:Life Style; D008593:Menopause / Q000502:physiology / Q000523:psychology; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors; D012621:Seasons; D013223:Statistics as Topic; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013546:Sweating / Q000502:physiology*; D013696:Temperature; D014479:United Arab Emirates / Q000453:epidemiology; D014666:Vasomotor System / Q000503:physiopathology*
keywords: CLIMATE; HOT FLUSHES; MENOPAUSE; SEASON; UNITED ARABIC EMIRATES; VASOMOTOR SYMPTOMS