Measuring climacteric symptoms in an Ecuadorian population with the Greene Climacteric Scale

Measure climacteric symptoms in a low socio-economic Ecuadorian population with the Greene Climacteric Scale and determine factors involved with higher scorings.

Women aged 40--65, non hormone therapy (HT) users, with intact uterus and ovaries, attending the Gynecologic Outpatient Service of the Enrique C. Sotomayor Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital Guayaquil-Ecuador, were selected and asked to fill out the Greene Climacteric Scale.

During the study period, 385 women met inclusion criteria and filled out the climacteric scale. Mean age of this sample was 47.6 +/- 5.5 years and 36.6% were aged >or=50 years. Women were classified as: premenopausal 38.9%, perimenopausal 28.8% and postmenopausal 32.3%. The total Greene Climacteric score for postmenopausal was found to be higher than premenopausal total score (18.78 +/- 8.11 versus 16.31 +/- 7.62, p < 0.05). Total, clusters and subclusters scorings maintained an increasing trend from one menopausal status to the next. The most frequently and intensive presenting symptoms of the 21 symptoms composing the scale were: difficulty in concentrating, feeling unhappy or distressed, headaches, and hot flashes (n=385: 87, 82, 83.9 and 82%, anxiety and depression subclusters, and somatic and vasomotor clusters, respectively). Univariate analysis determined that age >or=47 years, parity >or=4 and schooling <12 years were associated to the risk for having a total Greene scoring of >or=18 (OR: [95% CI], 2.5[1.6-3.8]; 1.8[1.1-3]; 1.6[1-2.7], respectively, p < 0.05). Age >or=47 years was associated to increased rates of higher scorings in all clusters except for loss of sexual interest, which was contrarily increased together with vasomotor scoring in women with higher parity (p < 0.05). Women with educational level <12 years were related to higher somatic scorings. Logistic regression analysis confirmed all these associations except for parity, which was excluded as a risk factor for higher vasomotor scorings.

In this specific population, climacteric symptoms presenting in all menopausal groups, as measured with the Greene Climacteric Scale, resulted to be higher than previously reported standards and age, parity and educational level were independent risk factors.