Relationship between sociodemographic, reproductive, and lifestyle factors and the severity of menopausal symptoms among Egyptian women in Alexandria.

Objective: During menopause, women often experience some symptoms which may affect their daily activities. Information about menopausal experiences among different racial and ethnic groups is important for healthcare personnel to provide appropriate and specific interventions. The aim of the present study was thus to determine the frequency and determinants of severity of menopausal symptoms among Egyptian women using the Menopause Rating Scale as a screening tool for identification of menopausal symptoms.

Methods: A total of 540 women (aged 40-65 y) were recruited in this cross-sectional study. Demographic information was collected, and the Menopause Rating Scale questionnaire was administered.

Results: Most frequently reported symptoms were joint and muscular discomfort (501, 92.8%) followed by urogenital symptoms (460, 85.2%). A significant association was found between the number of menopausal symptoms and working status of participants (r = 0.504, P = 0.005), number of children (r = 0.474, P = 0.042), and body mass index (r = 0.544, P = 0.006). Women who reported urogenital symptoms and self-perceived general health as poor were more frequently referred to a gynecologist for moderate-to-severe menopausal symptoms.

Conclusions: Participant-related information such as working status, which was shown to increase the frequency of psychological symptoms in our ethnic group, should be noted by the physician, and a suitable approach should be adopted to achieve better therapy outcomes. Counseling about the importance of maintaining an ideal body weight and exercise should be emphasized to reduce menopausal symptoms. Appropriate advice and support in improving the overall state of the postmenopausal women is essential.