Menopausal Stage, Current Life Change, Attitude Toward Women's Roles, and Perceived Health Status in Middle-aged Women

Abstract

A sample of 249 premenopausal, perimenopausal and postmenopausal women was studied in order to explore the relationships of menopausal stage, current life change and attitude toward women's roles to perceived health status. The dependent variable was operationally defined as the sum of scores on the Health Perceptions Questionnaire, the Bradburn Affect Balance Scale and the Life Satisfaction Index.

Hypotheses included that menopausal stage would be positively related to perceived health status, which was not supported; that current life change would be inversely related to perceived health status, which was supported (p < .05); and that non-traditional attitude toward women's roles is positively related to perceived health status, which was not supported.

In addition, it was observed that there appears to be an interaction between current life change and attitude toward women's roles in relation to perceived health status; that score on the Neugarten and Kraines Menopause Symptom Checklist was strongly and inversely related to perceived health status; and that perception of mother's menopause experience, perception of sexual partner's attitude toward menopause, respondents' educational level and perceived timing of menopause as early, on-time or late were significantly related to perceived health status. Multiple regression analysis was performed with statistical control for age of subjects.

Though menopausal stage was inversely and significantly related to perceived health status, it accounted for very little variance. That menopausal symptoms were strongly and inversely related probably reflects cultural attitudes about menopause and about health. Findings of this study suggest directions for client education as well as for additional research.