Attitudes toward menopause and quality of life in women during the menopausal period

Attitudes Toward Menopause and Quality of Life in Women During the Menopausal Period Aim: This study aimed to evaluate the attitudes of women in the menopausal period toward menopause and their menopause-specific quality of life; and to examine the relationship between these two variables as well as the impact of sociodemographic and health-related factors on these variables. Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional and descriptive study was conducted between May and July 2024 with 200 postmenopausal women applying to the Çukurova University Çarkıpare Training Family Health Center. Data was collected using a sociodemographic questionnaire, the Attitude Towards Menopause Scale (MİTÖ), and the Menopause-Specific Quality of Life Questionnaire (MÖYKÖ). Data was analyzed using descriptive statistics, Student's t-test, one-way ANOVA, and Pearson correlation analysis. Results: The mean age of the participants was 57.9 ± 5.8 years. The mean MİTÖ score was 34.8 ± 10.9. The mean subscale scores of MÖYKÖ were 12.1 ± 6.9 for vasomotor, 22.4 ± 12.2 for psychosocial, 61.6 ± 24.8 for physical, and 9.3 ± 6.7 for sexual domains. Significant positive correlations were found between MİTÖ scores and the subscales of MÖYKÖ; specifically, moderate correlations were observed with the vasomotor (r = 0.355) and psychosocial (r = 0.400) subscales, while weak correlations were noted with the physical (r = 0.249) and sexual (r = 0.220) subscales. No significant differences were found in scale scores based on educational status, presence of chronic disease, alcohol consumption, or BMI category (p>0.05). Mean monthly income level showed a significant relationship only with the sexual domain, with higher scores observed among women with income above minimum wage (p<0.001). Similarly, the mean score of the sexual subscale was higher in married women compared to unmarried women (p<0,001). Conclusion: It was found that women generally had negative attitudes toward menopause, and their menopause-specific quality of life was affected in several domains. The significant relationship between attitude and quality of life suggests that having a positive attitude alone may not be sufficient to improve quality of life. It is recommended that primary healthcare services providing educational and supportive programs that include symptom management as well as attitude development will be helpful for these women. Keywords: Menopause, attitude, quality of life, Menopause-Specific Quality of Life Scale (MÖYKÖ), Attitude Toward Menopause Scale (MİTÖ), family medicine