title: Factors associated with menopausal symptoms among middle-aged registered nurses in Beijing.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine factors related to menopause symptoms among middle-aged registered nurses in Beijing.
  
  
  METHODS
  Self-administered questionnaires that included closed-ended questions on many factors possibly related to menopausal symptoms were distributed to 2100 registered nurses aged 40-55 at 20 hospitals in Beijing, China.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Menopausal status was most associated with menopausal symptoms (p < 0.01), including hot flashes and sweating, paresthesiae, insomnia, arthralgia/myalgia, palpitations, skin formication and an unsatisfactory sexual life. The odds ratios (ORs) were highest for hot flashes and sweating. Upsetting events in the past year and being pessimistic were significantly inversely correlated with almost all the symptoms analyzed. Hot flashes and sweating (p < 0.01), paresthesiae (p < 0.01), unsatisfactory sexual life (p < 0.01), irritability (p < 0.05), depression or suspicion (p < 0.05) and dizziness (p < 0.05) were negatively correlated with the frequency of sexual activity.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Many factors may influence symptoms of the menopause. We found that menopausal status was most strongly associated with most menopausal symptoms, especially hot flashes and sweating. Psychosocial factors also played an important role. A higher frequency of sexual activity negatively correlated with most menopausal symptoms.
authors.affiliation: Peking University First Hospital , Beijing , China .
authors.forename: Peihao
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Yannan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yuan
authors.forename: Mengfang
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Ying
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Xu
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Mukun
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Sisi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Xi
authors.forename: Yanming
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ding
authors.forename: Jun-E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Guoying
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.forename: Xiuying
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Guo
authors.forename: Zhen
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Ren
authors.forename: Wenpei
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Bai
authors.forename: Chen
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Yao
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001145:Arrhythmias, Cardiac / Q000453:epidemiology; D018771:Arthralgia / Q000453:epidemiology; D002681:China / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006304:Health Status; D019584:Hot Flashes / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D008593:Menopause / Q000502:physiology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009726:Nurses / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D010292:Paresthesia / Q000453:epidemiology; D012307:Risk Factors; D012735:Sexual Dysfunction, Physiological / Q000453:epidemiology; D007319:Sleep Initiation and Maintenance Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013546:Sweating
keywords: Menopause; nurses; related factors; symptoms