OBJECTIVE: To determine the relationships among perceived health, menopausal symptoms, and self-care responses in perimenopausal and postmenopausal women. DESIGN: Descriptive, cross-sectional survey. SETTING: A large midwestern city in the United States. PARTICIPANTS: One-hundred-one menopausal women who were over age 40, used no hormones during the previous 6 months, and had an intact uterus. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Four standardized survey instruments. RESULTS: Significant correlations were found between self-rated health and health perceptions (r = .44, p = .0004), self-rated health and total symptoms (r = -.30, p = .0023), self-rated health and worrisome symptoms (r = -.26, p = .0085), health perceptions and worrisome symptoms (r = .30, p = .0195), health perceptions and self-care responses (r = .43, p = .0009), and total symptoms and worrisome symptoms (r = .38, p = .0001). CONCLUSIONS: Health is related to menopausal symptoms and self-care. Dyadic adjustment is not related to health, menopausal symptoms, or self-care. Healthy menopausal women provide self-care and need not automatically be treated for menopause.
OBJECTIVE: To determine the relationships among perceived health, menopausal symptoms, and self-care responses in perimenopausal and postmenopausal women. DESIGN: Descriptive, cross-sectional survey. SETTING: A large midwestern city in the United States. PARTICIPANTS: One-hundred-one menopausal women who were over age 40, used no hormones during the previous 6 months, and had an intact uterus. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Four standardized survey instruments. RESULTS: Significant correlations were found between self-rated health and health perceptions (r = .44, p = .0004), self-rated health and total symptoms (r = -.30, p = .0023), self-rated health and worrisome symptoms (r = -.26, p = .0085), health perceptions and worrisome symptoms (r = .30, p = .0195), health perceptions and self-care responses (r = .43, p = .0009), and total symptoms and worrisome symptoms (r = .38, p = .0001). CONCLUSIONS: Health is related to menopausal symptoms and self-care. Dyadic adjustment is not related to health, menopausal symptoms, or self-care. Healthy menopausal women provide self-care and need not automatically be treated for menopause.