title: How Menopause Symptoms and Attitude Impact Korean Women's Quality of Life After Adjuvant Treatment for Breast Cancer.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Attitudes toward menopause vary across cultures and influence women's experiences of menopausal symptoms, possibly leading to reduced posttreatment quality of life in breast cancer survivors.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study is to examine the effects of menopausal symptoms and attitudes on health-related quality of life in breast cancer survivors who were premenopausal at the time of diagnosis.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 139 women receiving chemotherapy with/without endocrine therapy were assessed with self-report questionnaires of established reliability and validity. Hierarchical regression was conducted to assess the impact of menopausal symptoms and attitudes on quality of life, while controlling for demographic characteristics.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Overall, participants endorsed more than half of 46 symptoms, most at the level of mild symptoms, and most reported a less positive attitude toward menopause. Lower quality of life was significantly predicted by more menopausal symptoms endorsed and more negative attitudes when controlling for demographic factors associated with quality of life (R = 26.1%). Most participants experienced change from premenopause to postmenopause after the completion of adjuvant chemotherapy with or without tamoxifen.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results suggest that more menopausal symptoms and negative attitudes toward menopause may affect health-related quality of life considerably in chemotherapy-treated Asian breast cancer survivors.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Healthcare professionals should develop a better understanding of the effects of menopausal symptoms and attitudes on quality of life by using a culturally relevant perspective based on patients' sociocultural backgrounds. Furthermore, these findings help healthcare professionals communicate with their Asian clients in a more informed way and provide culturally appropriate and individualized care.
authors.affiliation: Author Affiliations: College of Nursing, Chungnam National University (Drs Gang, Jung, and Oh); and Chungnam National University Hospital, Daejeon, South Korea (Drs S. Park and Y. Park).
authors.forename: Moonhee
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gang
authors.forename: Mi Sook
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Jung
authors.forename: Sunyoung
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Park
authors.forename: Younghee
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Park
authors.forename: Kyongok
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Oh
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001294:Attitude to Health; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000523:psychology*; D017024:Chemotherapy, Adjuvant / Q000379:methods / Q000523:psychology*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008593:Menopause / Q000523:psychology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D011788:Quality of Life / Q000523:psychology*; D056910:Republic of Korea; D057566:Self Report; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires