Predictors of the quality of life of women in peri-menopausal period

Abstract

Introduction. The peri-menopausal period is the time of many biological, psychological and social changes. The quality of life of women in this period may be conditioned by many factors, and analysis of these factors may indicate the optimum directions of prophylactic and educational actions.Objective. Analysis of selected predictive factors of the quality of life of women in the peri-menopausal period.Materials and method. The study covered 268 peri-menopausal women. The qualification criteria were: age 45–55, lack of mental disorders and diseases requiring hospitalization during the period of study. The study was conducted using standardized instruments: Women’s Health Questionnaire – WHQ, Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) and an author-constructed questionnaire.Results. The presented study of the quality of life showed that the women examined felt physically unattractive, lacking the full joy of life, and frequently experienced somatic complaints. Nevertheless, the respondents enjoyed life, had no constant feeling of anxiety and concern. Multi-factor analysis showed that the quality of life in the group of women in the study was affected by the following factors: level of depression, self-reported state of health, occurrence of menopausal symptoms, education level, and marital status.Conclusions. The quality of life of the peri-menopausal women examined was the highest with respect to depressive mood (DEP) and anxiety/depressed mood (ANX), while it was the lowest with respect to the sense of attractiveness (ATT), and somatic symptoms (SOM). In addition, in the group of women in peri-menopausal period the quality of life was conditioned: level of depression, self-reported state of health, occurrence of menopausal symptoms, education level, and marital status.