The Influence of Climacteric Symptoms on Women's Lives and Activities

In the present study, we performed an analysis of the influence of climacteric symptoms on women's lives and activities, i.e. their quality of life (QoL). The study was performed between October 2011 and February 2012. It included 148 women aged 44-62. The study used a diagnostic survey with questionnaires. The research instrument was the Blatt-Kupperman index. The respondents were asked to complete a questionnaire on socio-demographic data, quality of life, and the influence of climacteric symptoms on life and its various aspects. The respondents experiencing moderate or severe climacteric symptoms also had stronger feelings of failure (p = 0.005), feeling that opportunities are still available (p = 0.002), of losing their youth and beauty (p < 0.0001), compared to those who had slight or no symptoms. The intensity of climacteric symptoms significantly affects women's lives and activities, i.e., their QoL. The reported intensity of climacteric symptoms is influenced by the respondents' education, residence, marital status and professional activity. The more severe the climacteric symptoms, the lower the women's quality of life, as evidenced for example by the feeling of failure and of losing one's youth, beauty and opportunities.