Severe Menopausal Symptoms And Associated Factors Among Post-Menopausal Women In Ambo Town, West Shewa, Ethiopia

Abstract

Background- Post-menopause is the permanent cessation of menstruation for a consecutive 12 months at the age of 45 to 55 years. Menopause symptoms include: hot flushes, heart discomfort, sleep disorders, depressive disorders, irritability, anxiety, sexual problems, vaginal dryness, joint and muscle discomfort. Women all over the world suffer from symptoms associated with menopause. Despite the fact that the population of menopausal women in Ethiopia is growing in parallel with their life expectancy, little is known about the severity and factors associated with menopausal symptoms among post-menopausal women in Ethiopia. Objective- The purpose of this study was to assess the severity of menopause symptoms and identify the associated factors among post-menopausal women in Ambo town, Ethiopia, 2022. Methods: - A community-based cross-sectional study was conducted from August 3 to September 3, 2022 in Ambo town. Simple random sampling method was employed using computer-generated random numbers using the sampling frame taken from the conducted preliminary survey. Data were collected using a structured, interviewer-administered questionnaire. The data from Kobotolbox were exported to SPSS version 25.0 for analysis. Bivariate and multivariable logistic regression analysis were done and odds ratio with 95 % Cl was estimated to identify the associated factors of the outcome variables and statistical significance was affirmed at a p-value ≤ 0.05. Results:-Among the study participants, 133(30.4%) with 95% CI (26.2%-35%) of them experienced severe menopausal symptoms during the past one month. Age greater than 60 years [AOR=3.2, 95% CI (1.3, 7.7)], not performing physical activity [AOR=2.1, 95% CI (1.1, 4.4)], consuming alcohol [AOR=1.8, 95%CI (1.1, 3.1), unfavorable attitude towards to menopause [AOR=1.8, 95% CI (1.1, 3.0)] and BMI>29.9kg/m2 [AOR=6.1 95% CI (2.7, 14.2)] were associated with severe menopause symptoms. Conclusion and recommendation: From the study, one in three postmenopausal women experienced severe menopausal symptoms. The severity was associated with advanced age, physical activity, alcohol consumption, women’s attitudes towards menopause, and obesity. Therefore, due attention should be given by health offices and health professionals to the magnitude of this problem, and appropriate health education should be given to at-risk populations.