title: Vasomotor and sexual symptoms in older Australian women: a cross-sectional study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine the prevalence and severity of vasomotor symptoms (VMS) and sexual symptoms in community-dwelling older women, and to explore factors associated with VMS.
  
  
  METHODS
  Population-based cross-sectional study.
  
  
  METHODS
  Not applicable.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 1,548 women aged 65-79 years.
  
  
  METHODS
  None.
  
  
  METHODS
  The presence and self-rated severity of VMS (hot flashes, night sweats, or sweating), and sexual symptoms (intimacy, desire, and vaginal dryness) were determined with the use of the Menopause Quality of Life (MenQOL) questionnaire.
  
  
  RESULTS
  All items of the vasomotor and the sexual MenQOL domains were completed by 1,532 and 1,361 of the study participants, respectively. Menopausal hormone therapy (MHT) use was reported by 6.2% of the women, and 6.9% reported using vaginal estrogen. Among the 1,426 women not using MHT, at least 1 VMS was reported by 32.8%. The prevalence of VMS rated as moderately to severely bothersome was 3.4%. A total of 54.4% of currently partnered women had sexual symptoms, and 32.5% reported vaginal dryness during intercourse in the past month. In the multivariate analysis, factors significantly associated with VMS were age, obesity, being a caregiver for another person, and bilateral oophorectomy.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  VMS and vaginal atrophy symptoms are common in community-dwelling older women, but they are predominantly untreated. The degree of distress caused by sexual symptoms among older women needs further exploration.
authors.affiliation: Women's Health Research Program, School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia; Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Institute of Public Health, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Gondar, Gondar, Ethiopia.
authors.forename: Berihun M
authors.initials: BM
authors.lastname: Zeleke
authors.affiliation: Women's Health Research Program, School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
authors.forename: Robin J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Bell
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine, School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
authors.forename: Baki
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Billah
authors.affiliation: Women's Health Research Program, School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. Electronic address: susan.davis@monash.edu.
authors.forename: Susan R
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Davis
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D001315:Australia / Q000453:epidemiology; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D019584:Hot Flashes / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008593:Menopause; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D015995:Prevalence; D011788:Quality of Life; D012307:Risk Factors; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D012725:Sexual Behavior; D012735:Sexual Dysfunction, Physiological / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D020018:Sexual Dysfunctions, Psychological / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013546:Sweating; D014623:Vaginal Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D014666:Vasomotor System / Q000503:physiopathology*
keywords: Vasomotor symptoms; menopause; older women