Prevalence of andropause among Iranian men and its relationship with quality of life

Abstract

Introduction: Andropause is a complicated process in men's life which can negatively affect their quality of life in both physical and psychological dimensions.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of andropause among Iranian men age 40-85 years and its relationship with quality of life.

Materials and methods: This was a cross-sectional study among 393 men attending ten urban healthcare centers in Ilam province in southwestern Iran. Study participants were recruited using proportional random sampling. The Male andropause symptoms self-assessment questionnaire (MASSQ) and SF-12 were used for data collection. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 22 (Chicago, IL).

Results: The mean (SD) of participants scores in MASSQ was 57.46 (17.56). Only 61 (15.5%) men were classified at "don't need testosterone" category based on MASSQ. There were significant associations between the eight aspects of HRQoL and the andropause severity (p < .001). Older age, lower education, having depression, coronary heart disease, and incontinence were associated with increased odds of andropause (p < .05).

Conclusion: This study confirmed findings of previous studies regarding andropause and its relationship with men's quality of life. Future studies in this topic are needed to discover all the factors that may influence men andropause.

Keywords: Andropause; Iran; aging; hypogonadism; men; quality of life; testosterone.