Perimenopause meets life: observations from the Women Living Better Survey

Objective The purpose of these analyses was to test a predictive quantitative model relating personal characteristics, reproductive aging stages, health behaviors, roles, stressors, and satisfaction with life roles to bothersome symptoms experienced during the late reproductive stage and the menopausal transition (MT). Methods Participants (N = 2,406) aged 35 to 55 years completed the Women Living Better Survey online between March to August 2020, and 1,529 met the inclusion criteria and provided menstrual cycle data for staging reproductive aging. They were recruited from the Women Living Better newsletter and from other online groups of midlife women. Hierarchical regression analysis using a two-stage model tested the effect of several factors on each of five bothersome symptom groups: brain fog, volatile mood, fatigue/pain, vasomotor/sleep disruption, and anxiety/vigilance symptoms. In stage I, personal characteristics, reproductive aging stage, and health behaviors were examined, and in stage II roles (ie, caregiver, partner, employment-related), satisfaction with life roles and stressors associated with roles were added. Results More bothersome brain fog symptoms were associated with less education, MT (vs late reproductive stage), low satisfaction with life roles, and greater health-related and overcommitment stress (all P
Source: Menopause - Category: OBGYN Tags: Original Studies Source Type: research