Association between Menopausal Symptoms and Demographic Variables among Perimenopausal and Postmenopausal Women: A...

Menopausal symptoms (MS) present painful experiences that have adverse effects on the overall health of women. The purpose of this study is to determine the prevalence of MS and its association with demographic variables among perimenopausal and postmenopausal women in Nsukka communities.

It was a community-based cross-sectional survey adopting a multistage sampling technique, conducted from September 2024 to February 2025 in 30 communities. A total of 850 women of perimenopausal and postmenopausal status were investigated using an adapted menopause symptoms assessment questionnaire, demonstrating a 0.86 reliability index. The IBM-SPSS version 22 was used for data computation, whereas all statistical analysis was performed using frequency, percentage, and Chi-square statistics at P ≤ 0.05.

Out of 850 eligible participants, only 26 (30.1%) declined, whereas 824 (96.9%) complied accordingly; 523 (63.5%) were perimenopausal, whereas 301 (36.5%) were postmenopausal women, respectively. Overall, MS prevalence was 76.1% for perimenopausal; and 82.4% for postmenopausal women. Specifically, the prevalence of somatic (57%) and (55.5%); psychological (68.3%) and (67.7%); and urogenital symptoms (58.2%) and (65.6%) for perimenopausal and postmenopausal women was found. Statistically, MS was significantly associated with education (P = 0.021), marital status (P = 0.010), and tobacco intake (P = 0.002), whereas no significant associations existed on denomination (P = 0.662) and age (P = 0.091), respectively.

The prevalence of MS was higher among postmenopausal women. The perimenopausal women had higher prevalence of somatic and psychological symptoms. MS was significantly associated with variables, suggesting the need for a community-based health program to reducing MS in women.