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Physical and mental health: changes during menopause transition
Gita D Mishra1, Wendy J Brown, Annette J Dobson
1Research Centre for Gender and Health, University of Newcastle, Australia. gita.mishra@mrc-hnr.cam.ac.uk
Summary
Physical and mental health decline during menopause, especially for peri-menopausal women and those using hormone replacement therapy (HRT). Further research is needed to understand these worsening health trends.
Area of Science:
- Women's Health
- Menopause Research
- Health Psychology
Background:
- The menopausal transition significantly impacts women's physical and mental well-being.
- Understanding these changes is crucial for developing targeted health interventions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess changes in physical and mental health across different menopausal statuses and hormone replacement therapy (HRT) usage groups.
- To identify specific health dimensions most affected during the menopausal transition.
Main Methods:
- A longitudinal study followed 8,623 Australian women aged 45-50 over two years.
- Health changes were measured using the eight dimensions of the Short Form General Health Survey (SF-36), adjusted for baseline, lifestyle, and demographic factors.
Main Results:
- Women's health generally declined across most SF-36 dimensions during the study period.
- The most significant declines in physical functioning and role limitations were observed in peri-menopausal women and those using HRT.
- Women who remained pre-menopausal experienced the smallest declines in physical health.
Conclusions:
- Physical health and well-being demonstrably worsen during the menopausal transition.
- Peri-menopausal women and HRT users experience more pronounced negative health changes, necessitating further investigation.