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Menopausal symptom perception and severity: results from a screening questionnaire
Judith A Berg1, Cheryl A Larson, Alice E Pasvogel
1University of Arizona College of Nursing, Tucson, AZ 85721-0203, USA. jberg@nursing.arizona.edu
Journal of Clinical Nursing
|March 7, 2008
Summary
Mid-life women experience varied menopause symptoms, with sleep issues, forgetfulness, and irritability being most common and severe. Understanding symptom perception and severity is crucial for effective management and nursing care.
Area of Science:
- Reproductive Health
- Women's Health
- Menopause Studies
Background:
- Women experience diverse symptoms during menopause, but prevalence and severity data are inconsistent.
- Mid-life women's symptom perception during the menopausal transition requires further investigation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To describe symptom perception and severity in mid-life women undergoing menopause.
- To inform intervention development for menopause symptom management.
Main Methods:
- Cross-sectional descriptive study design.
- Recruited community-based Caucasian women aged 43-55.
- Used screening questionnaires to assess symptom severity for study qualification.
Main Results:
- 110 women qualified, with a mean age of 49.3 years, averaging 4.7 months post-menopause.
- Most perceived symptoms included sleep difficulties, forgetfulness, and irritability.
- Most severe symptoms reported were sleep difficulties, night sweats, irritability, and forgetfulness.
Conclusions:
- Findings enhance understanding of the menopause symptom experience, particularly regarding symptom severity.
- Comprehensive symptom data are essential for developing and evaluating effective menopause interventions.
- Nurses require updated knowledge on menopause symptoms beyond hot flashes to support mid-life women.
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