Iraqi Postgraduate Medical Journal

Abstract

ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND:
The physiological changes associated with menopause can influence women's quality of life. Most
women report vasomotor, sexual, psychological and physical symptoms that commonly accompany
menopause, with varying degrees of severity and life disruption.
OBJECTIVE:
To assess the menopausal symptoms severity and its impact on the quality of life (QoL).
PATIENTS AND METHODS:
A cross-sectional study was conducted on a convenient sample of 426 women attending in seven
primary health care centers in Al-Rusafa health directorate of Baghdad for the period from 20th of
February to 20th of June 2017 using the MENQOL questionnaire.
RESULTS:
The common severe symptoms of women at menopause are low backache (63.6%), aching in
muscles and joints (53.8%),aches in the back of neck or head (52.6%), decrease in the sexual desire
(49.5%),dissatisfaction in personal life (46.5%),hot flushes (44.1%)and feeling tired and worn out
(43.7%).
CONCLUSION:
It can be concluded that the most severe symptoms in menopausal women were low backache in
the physical domain, decrease sexual desire in the sexual domain; dissatisfaction in personal life
in the psychosocial domain and hot flushes in the vasomotor domain. The QoL was less affected on
the sexual domain and highly affected on physical domain.