title: Assessment of menopausal symptoms among women attending various outreach clinics in South Canara District of India.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Menopausal symptoms experienced by women are known to affect their quality-of-life. The symptoms experienced at menopause are quite variable and their etiology is found to be multifactorial. This study was hence done to assess the pattern and severity of menopausal symptoms and to find out the factors associated with these symptoms.
  
  
  METHODS
  This cross-sectional study was conducted in various outreach clinics of Kasturba Medical College, Mangalore. Women in the age group of 40-65 years were included in the study by convenient sampling method. Data regarding menopausal symptom was obtained by interviewing each participant using the menopause rating scale questionnaire.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Mean age of the participants were 54.2 ± 7.2 years and mean age of attainment of menopause was 48.4 ± 4.5 years. Mean duration of menopause was found to be 7.5 ± 5.3 years. Commonest symptom reported was joint and muscular discomfort and physical and mental exhaustion seen in 94 (85.4%) participants. The mean number of symptoms reported by participants was 7.6 ± 2.8. Educated women reported significantly more symptoms (F = 2.218, P = 0.047). Somatic and urogenital symptoms were more among perimenopausal women and somatic symptoms were more among postmenopausal women. Fifty-eight (52.7%) participants had one or more severe symptoms. Severe symptoms were most among premenopausal women.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The high proportion and severity of menopausal symptoms observed in this study group proves that menopausal symptoms are common and cannot be ignored. More of menopausal clinics are needed for awareness generation, early recognition and treatment of related morbidities.
authors: Department of Community Medicine, Kasturba Medical College, Manipal University, Mangalore, Karnataka, India.
authors: Nitin
authors: N
authors: Joseph
authors: Department of Community Medicine, Kamineni Institute of Medical Sciences, Sreepuram, Narketpally, Nalgonda, Andhra Pradesh, India.
authors: Kondagunta
authors: K
authors: Nagaraj
authors: Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Kasturba Medical College, Manipal University, Mangalore, Karnataka, India.
authors: Vittal
authors: V
authors: Saralaya
authors: Department of Community Medicine, A.J Institute of Medical Sciences and Research Centre, Mangalore, Karnataka, India.
authors: Maria
authors: M
authors: Nelliyanil
authors: Department of Forensic Medicine, Kasturba Medical College, Manipal University, Mangalore, Karnataka, India.
authors: Pp Jagadish
authors: PJ
authors: Rao
keywords: Perimenopausal women; postmenopausal women; premenopausal women; psychological symptoms; somatic symptoms; urogenital symptoms