Abstract

FERNANDEZ, Milagrosa  and  COSTA, Eleonora. Menopause: predictors of quality of life. Psic., Saúde & Doenças [online]. 2021, vol.22, n.1, pp.284-301.  Epub Apr 30, 2021. ISSN 1645-0086.  https://doi.org/10.15309/21psd220124.

Menopause is a period of women’s life that is associated with diverse symptomatology, which can influence their quality of life. The aim of this study was to identify predictors of quality of life during menopause and to determine the differences between women in perimenopausal stage at the level of menopausal symtoms, representations of menopause, marital satisfaction, coping strategies, and quality of physical life and psychological. Participants were 110 women, in the menopause phase enrolled in a health unit in Portugal. The results showed that only menopausal symptoms were predictors of lower physical quality of life; conversely, annual income, positive reinterpretation and marital satisfaction were predictors of higher psychological quality of life, and symptoms of menopause have proven to be predictors of lower mental quality of life. At the level of differences between menopausal stages in relation to symptoms, representations of menopause, marital satisfaction, coping strategies and quality of physical and psychological life, statistically significant differences were found only at the level of the use of religion as a coping strategy, and women who are in postmenopausal use this strategy more. The results of the present study may serve as a guide for the elaboration of health prevention and promotion programs in menopause.

Keywords : menopause; symptoms; coping strategies; marital satisfaction; quality of life; social representations.

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