How Menopausal Symptoms are Related to Different Stages of Postmenopausal Years: A Study from Eastern India

Abstract

The present study aimed to investigate how menopausal symptoms are related to different stages of postmenopausal years. The study participants (n = 715) were divided into four groups based on the quartile values of their years after menopause – Stage 1(1 – 2 years), Stage 2 (>2 – 5 years), Stage 3 (>5 – 9 years), and Stage 4 (>9 years). Menopausal symptoms were grouped into three domains namely physical, urinary and vaginal. We applied Correspondence Analysis to determine the interdependent relationship between menopausal symptoms and postmenopausal stages. The highest canonical correlation was observed between vaginal domain and menopausal stages. Participants who were at menopausal stages 3 and 4 independently showed proximity with vasomotor symptoms and urge incontinence; and those at stages 1 and stages 2 were more prone to physical symptoms. Arthralgia is recognized in early menopausal life, however its intensity increased with increase in menopausal age. The prevalence of urogenital atrophy increased with increase in postmenopausal years.