OBJECTIVE: To investigate the factors that influence therapeutic decisions at menopause, particularly those related to the burden of menopause symptoms, in a population of women living in Massachusetts, as part of the multisite DAMES (Decisions At Menopause Study). DESIGN: A survey using face-to-face interviews with a randomly selected sample of 293 women aged 45 to 55 who are members of the Fallon Community Health Plan in Central Massachusetts. The instrument combined closed- and open-ended questions and elicited information about a number of health topics, including the symptoms experienced by respondents over the preceding month and the decisions they made regarding therapies. RESULTS: Symptom reporting was found to be relatively high, with more than half of the sample reporting hot flashes, sleep disturbances, joint pains, and headaches in the month preceding the survey; one third to one half of the women reported palpitations, night sweats, fatigue, and numbness. The highest frequency of symptoms occurred during perimenopause. Nearly four fifths of the women consulted a healthcare provider, and one fifth used hormone therapy. More than half of the respondents said menopause is a difficult phase, and about half found decisionmaking about it to be difficult. CONCLUSIONS: This study documents a relatively heavy burden of symptoms in a relatively healthy population and provides an update on earlier studies in Massachusetts.
OBJECTIVE: To investigate the factors that influence therapeutic decisions at menopause, particularly those related to the burden of menopause symptoms, in a population of women living in Massachusetts, as part of the multisite DAMES (Decisions At Menopause Study). DESIGN: A survey using face-to-face interviews with a randomly selected sample of 293 women aged 45 to 55 who are members of the Fallon Community Health Plan in Central Massachusetts. The instrument combined closed- and open-ended questions and elicited information about a number of health topics, including the symptoms experienced by respondents over the preceding month and the decisions they made regarding therapies. RESULTS: Symptom reporting was found to be relatively high, with more than half of the sample reporting hot flashes, sleep disturbances, joint pains, and headaches in the month preceding the survey; one third to one half of the women reported palpitations, night sweats, fatigue, and numbness. The highest frequency of symptoms occurred during perimenopause. Nearly four fifths of the women consulted a healthcare provider, and one fifth used hormone therapy. More than half of the respondents said menopause is a difficult phase, and about half found decisionmaking about it to be difficult. CONCLUSIONS: This study documents a relatively heavy burden of symptoms in a relatively healthy population and provides an update on earlier studies in Massachusetts.
Authors: Sybil L Crawford; Nancy E Avis; Ellen Gold; Janet Johnston; Jennifer Kelsey; Nanette Santoro; MaryFran Sowers; Barbara Sternfeld Journal: Am J Epidemiol Date: 2008-10-25 Impact factor: 4.897
Authors: Ying Sheng; Janet S Carpenter; Charles D Elomba; Jennifer S Alwine; Min Yue; Caitlin A Pike; Chen X Chen; James E Tisdale Journal: Womens Midlife Health Date: 2021-05-31
Authors: Matthew Sussman; Jeffrey Trocio; Craig Best; Sebastian Mirkin; Andrew G Bushmakin; Robert Yood; Mark Friedman; Joseph Menzin; Michael Louie Journal: BMC Womens Health Date: 2015-08-13 Impact factor: 2.809
Authors: Gita D Mishra; Hsin-Fang Chung; Nirmala Pandeya; Annette J Dobson; Lee Jones; Nancy E Avis; Sybil L Crawford; Ellen B Gold; Daniel Brown; Lynette L Sievert; Eric Brunner; Janet E Cade; Victoria J Burley; Darren C Greenwood; Graham G Giles; Fiona Bruinsma; Alissa Goodman; Kunihiko Hayashi; Jung Su Lee; Hideki Mizunuma; Diana Kuh; Rachel Cooper; Rebecca Hardy; Carla Makhlouf Obermeyer; Kathryn A Lee; Mette Kildevæld Simonsen; Toyoko Yoshizawa; Nancy F Woods; Ellen S Mitchell; Mark Hamer; Panayotes Demakakos; Sven Sandin; Hans-Olov Adami; Elisabete Weiderpass; Debra Anderson Journal: Maturitas Date: 2016-08-04 Impact factor: 4.342