Climacteric complaints and their relation to menopausal development--a retrospective analysis

The present study had two objectives: (1) to register the prevalence of a number of climacteric complaints in a Danish general population cohort and (2) retrospectively to test the validity of an association between climacteric complaints, menopausal development, occurrence of life events and social background. A postal questionnaire sent to the 51-year-old female population living in four Copenhagen suburbs, (N = 597, response rate = 88%) included information on menstrual pattern and change, hormonal treatment, socioeconomic data and a 4-year retrospective annual registration of prevalence of a number of climacteric complaints and life events. Logistic regression analyses performed on a restricted sample (women who experienced a natural menopausal development) revealed prevalence of hot flushes, moodiness and fatigue to be significantly associated with transitions in menopausal status. Fatigue, moodiness and depression were strongly associated with socio-economic variables. Life events were only occasionally associated with prevalence of the studied complaints.