Quality of life after the menopause: a population study

Abstract Objective : To assess the impact of menopause and some sociodemographic variables on quality of life (QoL). Materials and methods : Four hundred and eighty-one women aged 40–59 years attending the Southern Metropolitan Health Service in Santiago de Chile were studied using the Specific Quality of Life Questionnaire for Menopause from Toronto University. Results : Univariate analysis showed that menopausal women have worse QoL scores than women conserving cycles in the four areas of the questionnaire: They show a 10.6-fold higher risk for suffering vasomotor disorders affecting QoL, a 3.5-fold higher risk for psychosocial impairment, a 5.7-fold higher risk for physical disorders, and a 3.2-fold higher risk for sexual disorders ( P P P P P Conclusion : Menopause causes a decrease in quality of life, which is independent from age and other sociodemographic variables.