Concomitants of menopause-specific quality of life in premenopausal and post-menopausal women living in South Korea

• Published in: Women & health 2020-09, Vol.60 (8), p.887-898
• Main Authors: Lee, Bo Gyeong, Ham, Ok Kyung, Kim, Soo Hyun, Lee, Eun Jin, Kang, Hee Sun, Chae, Duckhee
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adult; Aged; Cross-Sectional Studies; Female; Health; Humans; Menopause; menopause-specific quality of life; Middle Aged; Post-menopause; Postmenopause - ethnology; Postmenopause - psychology; Premenopause - ethnology; Premenopause - psychology; Quality of life; Quality of Life - psychology; Regression analysis; Republic of Korea - epidemiology; Sleep; sleep quality; Sleep Wake Disorders - complications; Sleep Wake Disorders - epidemiology; Social interactions; Social support; Surveys and Questionnaires; Women; Womens health
• ISSN: 0363-0242; 1541-0331
• DOI: 10.1080/03630242.2020.1767262

The present study investigated the concomitants of menopause-specific quality of life among premenopausal and postmenopausal women. Based on the Wilson and Cleary model of quality of life, this cross-sectional study recruited 329 women of age 40-65 years following operational convenience. The study was conducted in the office of the Korea Population, Health and Welfare Association (KPHWA) in Incheon, South Korea. Data collected on sociodemographic characteristics, social support, biological/physiological characteristics, the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI-K), and self-rated health. Menopause-specific quality of life questionnaire (MENQOL) was used in this study. Hierarchical multiple linear regression analysis was performed. The study found that social support and self-rated health were negatively correlated with MENQOL in premenopausal women, while the income level and self-rated health were negatively associated with MENQOL in postmenopausal women. Sleep quality was positively correlated with MENQOL in both premenopausal and postmenopausal women. The study results indicate the need for tailored approaches based on menopausal status. Especially, social support may help improve the MENQOL of premenopausal women, while in postmenopausal women, improved sleep quality may enhance their menopause-specific quality of life.