Background: Natural menopause is associated with somatic, vasomotor, psychological, and
sexual complaints that may affect women's quality of life (QOL). Aims: To determine the
prevalence and severity of menopausal symptoms and their impact on QoL among Palestinian
women visiting primary care centers. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted from
November 2018 through March 2019. Convenience sampling was used to interview 380 women
aged 45–60 years attending primary care centers in the West Bank city of Nablus. The Menopause
Rating Scale (MRS) assessed the prevalence and severity of menopausal symptoms and QoL. Mean
scores of menopausal categories were compared for different symptoms. Descriptive and analytical
analyses were performed. The level of significance was set at P<0.05. Results: The age of
menopausal onset (12-month absence) was 49.37 ±3 years (N = 200). The most prevalent
symptoms were physical and mental exhaustion (86%), anxiety (85.5%), and irritability (85.3%).
Only the prevalence of sleep problems was statistically different between the pre-, peri, and post-
menopausal groups (P <0.001). The average MRS score was 18.64 ± 9.19, indicating severe
symptoms and a low QoL. Conclusion: The physical and psychosocial problems experienced by
Palestinian post-menopausal women negatively impacted their QoL. Therefore, all women
approaching menopause should have access to supportive networks and preventive programs for a
healthy transition.

العنوان

Palestinian Medical and Pharmaceutical Journal (PMPJ).

الناشر

An-Najah National University

بلد الناشر

فلسطين

Indexing

Scopus

معامل التأثير

None

نوع المنشور

Both (Printed and Online)

المجلد

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السنة

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الصفحات

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