Quality of Life of Postmenopausal Women in Western Oromia, Ethiopia
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.20372/mhsr.v2i2.1999Keywords:
Postmenopausal , Quality of Life , Women , WallagaAbstract
Background: Postmenopausal changes, driven by hormonal shifts, present physical and psychological challenges that impact daily life. In areas with socio-cultural and healthcare constraints, the quality of life for these women is often underexplored. This study examines their physical, psychological, and social well-being to identify unmet needs, providing a foundation for culturally appropriate interventions to promote healthy aging.
Objective: To assess the quality of life of post-menopausal women in western Oromia.
Methods: We conducted a community-based, mixed cross-sectional study among 423 purposively selected post-menopausal women in Western Oromia from March to June 2023. Quantitative data were entered into Epi-Info version 7 and analysed in SPSS version 27. One-way ANOVA identified the association between quality-of-life mean score and selected sociodemographic variables at p-value <0.05. The qualitative data were organized, transcribed, translated, and thematized.
Results: In this study, 412 women participated with a response rate of 97.4%. The Menopause Specific Quality of Life (MENQOL) mean score was 3.05±1.02. Bothersome menopausal experiences were significantly higher among women who were married (= 3.53 ± 0.94 vs 2.96 ± 0.94; p=0.02) or living alone (mean ± SD = 4.28± 1.61 vs 2.92± 0.97; p <0.001). Those unable to read or write reported higher symptom levels than women who completed primary school (mean ± SD = 3.24 ± 1.14 vs 2.77± 0.84; p = 0.015) or college (mean ± SD = 3.24 ± 1.14 vs 2.21 ± 0.98; p = 0.032). In addition, bothersome experiences were significantly higher among women whose husbands completed primary school compared to those with illiterate husbands (3.46 ± 1.34 vs. 2.77 ± 0.87; p = 0.032) or those with husbands who completed secondary school (3.46 ± 1.14 vs. 2.85 ± 0.94; p = 0.003).
Conclusion: Physical symptoms had the greatest impact on quality of life (highest MENQOL scores), while sexual symptoms had the least. Overall scores were significantly linked to marital status, education, husband's education, and living arrangements. Because many women forgo medical care, viewing symptoms as a natural part of aging, targeted education and counselling are essential to help them manage postmenopausal changes.
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