فهرست نشریات علمی دسترسی آزاد ایران

The age in menopause and frequency of menopausal symptoms differ in different societies. Thisstudy evaluates the distribution of age at normal menopause, the frequency of menopausal symptoms and theassociated factors in Babol, Northern Iran.Methods: In a community based study, the Symptom Score Card was used to assess the frequency and severityof menopausal symptoms. Data from 1,397 women around 45-63 years old in Babol, northern Iran were enrolled.Subjects were selected using the standard cluster sampling techniques.Results: In urban areas, the median age at menopause was 48 years. The five most prevalent symptoms wereirritabilities (72.1%), joint pains (70.6%), backache (61.2%), hot flushes (49.3%) and headache (49.2%) duringthe previous two weeks. More than 60% of women experienced hot flushes. Low educational level (OR=0.70;95% CI= 0.54, 0.90), early age at menarche (OR=0.76; 95% CI=0.59, 0.99) and oral contraceptive use(OR=0.76; 95% CI=0.54, 0.97) were significantly associated with hot flushes.Conclusion: It could be beneficial to provide evidences to manage menopausal women in Primary Health Carecenters as a cost effective method. Emphasis should be placed on practical education of women to raise theirknowledge on menopausal symptoms and ways of increasing their understanding on midlife experiences.