Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 3, 2026
A Method to Study the Impact of Chemically-induced Ovarian Failure on Exercise Capacity and Cardiac Adaptation in Mice
Published on: April 7, 2014
Well-being during the menopausal transition and early postmenopause: a longitudinal analysis
Kathleen Smith-DiJulio1, Nancy Fugate Woods, Ellen Sullivan Mitchell
1Department of Family and Child Nursing, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98112-2135, USA. smithdijulio@comcast.net
Objective:
To examine relationships between well-being and the menopausal transition (MT) to determine (1) whether women's well-being varies over the course of the MT and early postmenopause (PM) and (2) whether any observed variation is predicted by MT variables, other midlife transitions, or personal resources.
Design:
Women from the Seattle Midlife Women's Health Study (N = 334) provided data for these analyses from at least one annual health questionnaire and a menstrual calendar. A subset of women provided a first morning voided urine specimen from 1997 through 2005. Urine samples were assayed for estrone glucuronide and follicle-stimulating hormone. Mixed-effects modeling using the R library was used to investigate whether MT-related factors, including MT stage, presence of hot flashes, hot flash severity and levels of estrone glucuronide and follicle-stimulating hormone, number of negative life events, or personal resources of mastery and satisfaction with social support are significant predictors of well-being.
Results:
The model that best fit the data showed that mastery and satisfaction with social support predicted increases in well-being, whereas negative life events predicted decreases in well-being. None of the MT-related factors predicted change in well-being.
Conclusion:
The variability in women's well-being in this study was more affected by life events other than the MT and early PM and by the personal resources available to meet transition demands. These findings suggest that for most women, the MT is not a predictor of level of well-being when considered in a broader life context.
More Related Videos
Related Concept Videos
01:28Menopause
02:20Longitudinal Research
01:22Hormonal Regulation of the Menstrual Cycle
At puberty, GnRH begins a pulsatile release pattern, which triggers the anterior pituitary gland to secrete follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) and luteinizing hormone (LH). The frequency and amplitude of GnRH pulses vary across the menstrual cycle, with faster pulses favoring LH release and slower pulses favoring FSH release.
01:26Longitudinal Studies
01:30Hormonal Control of the Ovarian Cycle
Before puberty, the hypothalamus releases GnRH in a low frequency, low amplitude pulsatile manner. This along with the immature hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis activity, results in low estrogen levels and the absence of a fully functional ovarian cycle. At puberty, GnRH secretion increases in both frequency and...
01:29Bone Disorders
Bone deposition is also affected by the levels of sex hormones like estrogen and testosterone that promote osteoblast activity and bone matrix synthesis. When the level of these hormones decreases due to aging, it causes a reduction in bone deposition. As a result, bone resorption by osteoclasts...