The Association Between Severity of Menopause Symptoms and Qatari Women's Quality of Life: A Population-Based Study

IntroductionMenopause is a natural life stage often accompanied by persistent symptoms, such as hot flushes, night sweats, and mood changes that can significantly affect quality of life. While symptom experiences vary across cultures, little is known about menopause-related quality of life among Qatari women. The objective of this study was to measure the association between menopause symptoms and the quality of life of Qatari women.MethodsAn online, self-administered cross-sectional survey was distributed to all Qatari women aged 30-64 attending Primary Health Care Corporation Centers in Qatar for any reason.ResultsA total of 512 women completed the Menopause-Specific Quality of Life questionnaire. The mean (SD) age of respondents was 48.8 (7.28) years, with a median of 50 years. Mean (SD) age at menopause was 48.83 (4.93) years. The most frequently experienced symptoms were feeling tired (88.0%), aching muscles/joints (87.0%), lacking energy (86.0%), decreased physical strength (84.0%), low backache (82.0%) and flatulence (80.9%). Menopause status was significantly related to hot flushes (p< 0.001), night sweats (p< 0.001), accomplishing less (p=0.042), aching muscles/joints (p=0.041), aching back/neck/head (p=0.011), decreased physical strength (p=0.028), vaginal dryness during intimacy (p=0.001), and avoiding intimacy (p=0.002). Psychosocial symptoms were reported by 63.2% of respondents, followed by vasomotor symptoms (66.3%), sexual symptoms (66.4%), and physical symptoms (75.9%). There were statistically significant differences in mean scores of vasomotor, physical, and sexual domains across the menopause groups.ConclusionQatari women experience the onset of menopause at a younger age compared to women from other Arab and high income countries and are mostly bothered by symptoms related to physical discomfort and fatigue. Qatari women experience a high quality of life in the psychosocial domain. To improve care, health systems should prioritize menopause awareness and education, develop culturally sensitive strategies, and integrate these into primary care to enhance the wellbeing of aging women.