title: Quality of life of postmenopausal women and their spouses: a community-based study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Most women spend more than one-third of their lives after menopause. Due to physiologic changes in that period, menopause can cause a series of symptoms such as vasomotor symptoms, psychologic problems, and sexual dysfunction, which can affect the women's quality of life (QoL) and other family members, especially their spouse.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The present study aimed to determine the association between the QoL of postmenopausal women and their husbands.
  
  
  METHODS
  This descriptive-inferential cross-sectional study was conducted according to the census of 2006 in Iran. A total of 400 postmenopausal women aging 50 to 59 years and their spouses in 80 cluster heads of Ilam City residents were selected and studied in collaboration with the Statistical Center of Iran. The required data were gathered using the short-form health survey (SF-36) questionnaire and demographic questionnaire developed by the researcher-trained interviewers. Data were analyzed by SPSS 18 through Kruskal Wallis test, Wilcoxon signed ranks test, and correlation.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The participants' mean age was 54.2 ± 2.8 years for women and 61.1 ± 6.1 years for their spouses. More than half of the women (57%) and about one-third of men (32.8%) were illiterate. The employed educated women aging 50 to 54 years had a higher mean score of SF-36 domains. The difference in education was significant in all domains except for mental health. There was a significant difference in age in all domains except in general health. The mean score of all domains of QoL was significantly less in the illiterate men than in the literate ones (P < 0.05). The results of the present study showed a significant correlation (P < 0.05) between the couples' QoL, vasomotor symptoms, and aging. Spearman test showed a significant positive correlation in all domains of QoL between postmenopausal women and their spouses (correlation coefficient, 0.48-0.63).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Based on the results of the present study and other performed studies in this regard, menopause, aging, vasomotor symptoms, and education had significant association with the QoL of postmenopausal women. The reduced QoL in postmenopausal women could eventually lead to the reduced QoL of their spouses. Therefore, it is necessary to plan for the education of these women and their husbands to broaden their understanding of the changes of menopause and ways to improve their QoL.
authors.affiliation: Department of Midwifery, Faculty of Nursing and Midwifery, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, IR Iran.
authors.forename: Sakineh
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Mohammadalizadeh Charandabi
authors.affiliation: Department of Midwifery, Faculty of Nursing and Midwifery, Ilam University of Medical Sciences, Ilam, IR Iran.
authors.forename: Nazanin
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Rezaei
authors.affiliation: Department of Midwifery, Faculty of Nursing and Midwifery, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, IR Iran.
authors.forename: Sevil
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hakimi
authors.affiliation: Institute of Health Sciences, Jihad Daneshgahi, Tehran, IR Iran.
authors.forename: Ali
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Montazeri
authors.affiliation: Department of Midwifery, Faculty of Nursing and Midwifery, Ilam University of Medical Sciences, Ilam, IR Iran.
authors.forename: Safoura
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Taheri
authors.affiliation: Department of Nursing, Faculty of Nursing and Midwifery, Ilam University of Medical Sciences, Ilam, IR Iran.
authors.forename: Hamid
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Taghinejad
authors.affiliation: Psychosocial Injuries Prevention Research Center, Ilam University of Medical Sciences, Ilam, IR Iran.
authors.forename: Kourosh
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Sayehmiri
keywords: Menopause; Quality of Life; Spouses