title: Relationship between menopause status, attitude toward menopause, and quality of life in Chinese midlife women in Hong Kong.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This cross-sectional study aimed to explore the relationship between menopause status and attitude toward menopause, and also its relationship with quality of life (QoL) of Chinese midlife women in Hong Kong.
  
  
  METHODS
  Hong Kong Chinese women aged 40 to 59 years were recruited through computer-generated random telephone dialing. Information was obtained through telephone interviews based on a structured questionnaire. Women were classified into 3 groups: premenopausal, perimenopausal, and postmenopausal. Menopause Belief Scale and Utian Quality of Life Scale (QoL) were used to measure respondents' attitude toward menopause and their QoL. Information on social, health, and lifestyle factors was also collected.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mean age of the participants was 49.4 ± 5.2 years. Respondents generally had a positive attitude toward menopause. Compared with premenopausal women, postmenopausal women were noted to have significantly higher attitude score toward menopause. No significant differences in QoL score were noted among women of the 3 menopause statuses. Stepwise regression analysis showed that women with more positive attitude toward menopause tended to have higher QoL score. Furthermore, better self-reported health status, doing physical activities, higher education level, being married, and non-smoking status were associated with better QoL.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Postmenopausal women tended to have more positive attitude toward menopause. Although menopause status did not seem to be associated with QoL, attitude toward menopause, self-reported health status, as well as social and lifestyle factors were associated with QoL in Chinese midlife women.
authors.affiliation: The Jockey Club School of Public Health and Primary Care, the Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong.
authors.forename: Sixuan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Suzanne C
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Ho
authors.forename: Aprille
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sham
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D044466:Asian People / Q000523:psychology*; D001294:Attitude to Health; D004522:Educational Status; D005260:Female; D006304:Health Status; D006723:Hong Kong; D006801:Humans; D008019:Life Style; D017533:Marital Status; D008593:Menopause / Q000523:psychology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009043:Motor Activity; D011788:Quality of Life; D012907:Smoking / Q000523:psychology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires