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. 2012 Apr;21(3):535-44.
doi: 10.1007/s11136-011-9959-7. Epub 2011 Jul 14.

The impact of menopause on health-related quality of life: results from the STRIDE longitudinal study

Rachel Hess  1 , Rebecca C Thurston, Ron D Hays, Chung-Chou H Chang, Stacey N Dillon, Roberta B Ness, Cindy L Bryce, Wishwa N Kapoor, Karen A Matthews
Affiliations

The impact of menopause on health-related quality of life: results from the STRIDE longitudinal study

Rachel Hess et al. Qual Life Res. 2012 Apr.

Abstract

Purpose: We examine the impact of menopausal status, beyond menopausal symptoms, on health-related quality of life (HRQoL).

Methods: Seven hundred thirty-two women aged 40-65, regardless of health condition or menopausal status, were enrolled from single general internal medicine practice. Women completed annual questionnaires including HRQoL, and menopausal status and symptoms.

Results: The physical health composite of the RAND-36 is lower in late peri (45.6, P < .05), early post (45.4, P < .05), and late postmenopausal women (44.6, P < .01), and those who report a hysterectomy (44.2, P < .01) compared to premenopausal women (47.1), with effect sizes of Cohen's d = .12-.23. The mental health composite of the RAND-36 is lower in late peri (44.7, P < .01), early post (44.9, P < .01), and late postmenopausal women (45.0, P < .05) and those who report a hysterectomy (44.2, P < .01) compared to premenopausal women (46.8), with effect sizes of Cohen's d = .15-.20. Findings are comparable adjusted for menopausal symptom frequency and bother.

Conclusions: Over a 5-year follow-up period, we found a negative impact of menopause on some domains of HRQoL, regardless of menopausal symptoms. Clinicians should be aware of this relationship and work to improve HRQoL, rather than expect it to improve spontaneously when menopausal symptoms resolve.

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Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
The RAND-36 composite scores, adjusted for year, social support, hormone therapy use, educational attainment, medical comorbidities, body mass index, attitudes toward menopause, attitudes toward aging, marital status, race, and baseline age, for each menopausal status group. Significant differences are indicated as follows: a P<.05, b P<.01
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