The Menopausal Age and Climacteric Symptoms, and the Related Factors of Korean Women |
Young Joo Park1, Byoung Sam Gu2, Hyun Choel Kang3, Sook Hee Chon4, Ji Won Yoon4 |
1Associate professor, College of Nursing, Korea University, Seoul, Korea 2Professor, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, College of Medicine, Korea University 3Senior researcher, Institute of Statistics, Korea University, Research Professor, Department of Mathematics, Ho-Seo University, Seoul, Korea 4Doctroal candidate, College of Nursing Korea University, Seoul, Korea |
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Abstract |
This cross-sectional design was to identify the age at menopause of Korean women and the levels of bothersome menopausal symptoms. In addition, examining relationships between the levels of bothersome menopausal symptoms and sociodemographic factors, body mass index, menopause-related factors, and life-style behavior factors including smoking, alcohol use, physical activity, and diet was done. Two thousand eight hundred seven naturally postmenopausal women aged between 41-65 years were recruited by self-selection from 7 metropolitans and 6 provinces in Korea from Dec. 20, 1998 to April 30, 1999. The age at menopause of Korean women was 49.2 years(mean) and 50.0 years (median). The menopausal age of Korean women has slightly increased compared to a previous study. Based on the demographic factors, residential area and socioeconomic status were associated with the bothersome levels of climacteric symptoms. In the case of the life-style behaviors analysis, only alcohol use and a preference for wheat were associated with the bothersome levels of climacteric symptoms, especially physical symptoms. |
Key Words:
Menopausal age; Life-style behaviors; Middle-aged women; Climacteric symptoms |
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