title: Prevalence and severity of menopause symptoms and associated factors across menopause status in Korean women.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The present study investigated the prevalence and severity of menopause symptoms experienced by Korean women aged 44 to 56 years and their associated factors.
  
  
  METHODS
  A cross-sectional study was performed on 2,201 women aged 44 to 56 years in health checkup centers between November 2012 and March 2013. The 29-item Menopause-Specific Quality of Life Questionnaire was used to assess vasomotor, psychosocial, physical, and sexual symptoms related to menopause. The guidelines for the classification of reproductive aging stages proposed at the Stages of Reproductive Aging Workshop were used. Multivariable linear regression analyses were performed to identify factors associated with severity of menopause symptoms.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Among participants, 42.6% were premenopausal, 36.7% were perimenopausal, and 20.7% were postmenopausal. Although physical symptoms were the most severe menopause symptoms experienced by premenopausal and perimenopausal women, postmenopausal women reported sexual symptoms as the most bothersome. The mean scores for each domain increased from the premenopausal period through the postmenopausal period (P for trend < 0.001). The regression model revealed that age (for vasomotor and sexual symptoms) and obesity (for vasomotor and physical symptoms) were significantly associated with severity of menopause symptoms (P < 0.05). Physically active women had fewer severe physical symptoms related to menopause than inactive women.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Postmenopausal women experience the most severe symptoms. Obesity and physical activity are the main modifiable factors associated with symptom severity. Further studies are needed to examine the effects of physical activity promotion and weight control interventions on preventing menopause symptoms in Korean women.
authors.affiliation: 1Division of Cardiovascular and Rare Diseases, Korea National Institute of Health, Chungcheongbuk-do, Republic of Korea 2Department of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Kangbuk Samsung Hospital, Sungkyunkwan University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea 3Department of Health Sciences and Technology, Samsung Advanced Institute for Health Sciences and Technology, Sungkyunkwan University, Seoul, Republic of Korea 4Cancer Education Center, Samsung Comprehensive Cancer Center, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea 5Center for Cohort Studies, Total Healthcare Center, Kangbuk Samsung Hospital, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Gyeyoon
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Yim
authors.forename: Younjhin
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ahn
authors.forename: Yoosoo
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Chang
authors.forename: Seungho
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ryu
authors.forename: Joong-Yeon
authors.initials: JY
authors.lastname: Lim
authors.forename: Danbee
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Kang
authors.forename: Eun-Kyung
authors.initials: EK
authors.lastname: Choi
authors.forename: Jiin
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ahn
authors.forename: Yuni
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Choi
authors.forename: Juhee
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Cho
authors.forename: Hyun-Young
authors.initials: HY
authors.lastname: Park
mesh_terms: D015897:Comorbidity; D003863:Depression / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006304:Health Status; D019584:Hot Flashes / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D008593:Menopause; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D011788:Quality of Life; D056910:Republic of Korea; D012307:Risk Factors; D057566:Self Report; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D012735:Sexual Dysfunction, Physiological / Q000453:epidemiology; D020018:Sexual Dysfunctions, Psychological / Q000453:epidemiology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires