title: Health in middle-aged and elderly women: A conceptual framework for healthy menopause.
abstract: Middle-aged and elderly women constitute a large and growing proportion of the population. The peri and postmenopausal period constitutes a challenging transition time for women's health, and menopausal health is a crucial aspect in healthy and successful aging. Currently, no framework for the concept of healthy menopause exists, despite its recognized importance. Therefore, we aimed to: (i) characterize healthy menopause; (ii) identify aspects that contribute to it; and (iii) explore potential approaches to measure it. We propose healthy menopause as a dynamic state, following the permanent loss of ovarian function, which is characterized by self-perceived satisfactory physical, psychological and social functioning, incorporating disease and disability, allowing the attainment of a woman's desired ability to adapt and capacity to self-manage. The concept of healthy menopause applies to all women from the moment they enter the menopausal transition, up until they reach early and late postmenopause and includes women with spontaneous, iatrogenic, and premature menopause. This conceptualization can be considered as a further step in the maintenance and improvement of health in menopausal women from different perspectives, foremost the woman's own perspective, followed by the clinical, public health, and societal perspectives, and can be seen as a further step in delineating lines for future research. Furthermore, it could facilitate the improvement of adequate preventive and treatment strategies, guide scientific efforts, and aid education and communication to health care practitioners and the general public, allowing women the achievement of their potential and the fulfillment of their fundamental role in society.
authors: Department of Epidemiology, Erasmus Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
authors: Loes
authors: L
authors: Jaspers
authors: Woman and Baby Division, Department of Reproductive Medicine and Gynecology, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
authors: Nadine M P
authors: NM
authors: Daan
authors: Department of Epidemiology, Erasmus Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
authors: Gabriella M
authors: GM
authors: van Dijk
authors: Department of Epidemiology, Erasmus Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands; Institute of Epidemiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Belgrade, Belgrade, Serbia.
authors: Tatjana
authors: T
authors: Gazibara
authors: Department of Epidemiology, Erasmus Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
authors: Taulant
authors: T
authors: Muka
authors: Department of Epidemiology, Erasmus Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
authors: Ke-Xin
authors: KX
authors: Wen
authors: Division of Reproductive Medicine, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Erasmus Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
authors: Cindy
authors: C
authors: Meun
authors: Division of Endocrinology, Department of Internal Medicine, Erasmus Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
authors: M Carola
authors: MC
authors: Zillikens
authors: Division of Pharmacology Vascular and Metabolic Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, Erasmus Medical Center , Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
authors: Jeanine E
authors: JE
authors: Roeters van Lennep
authors: Division of Cardiology, Erasmus Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
authors: Jolien W
authors: JW
authors: Roos-Hesselink
authors: Department of Sexology and Psychosomatic Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Academic Medical Centre, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
authors: Ellen
authors: E
authors: Laan
authors: Women's Centre, John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford OX3 9DU, UK.
authors: Margaret
authors: M
authors: Rees
authors: Division of Reproductive Medicine, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Erasmus Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
authors: Joop S E
authors: JS
authors: Laven
authors: Department of Epidemiology, Erasmus Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
authors: Oscar H
authors: OH
authors: Franco
authors: Department of Epidemiology, Erasmus Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands. Electronic address: m.kavousi@erasmusmc.nl.
authors: Maryam
authors: M
authors: Kavousi
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000375:Aging / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008593:Menopause / Q000502:physiology* / Q000523:psychology; D008875:Middle Aged; D047648:Perimenopause / Q000502:physiology / Q000523:psychology; D017698:Postmenopause / Q000502:physiology / Q000523:psychology; D016387:Women's Health
keywords: Aging; Conceptual framework; Health; Measurement; Menopause