J Korean Acad Community Health Nurs.  2010 Dec;21(4):429-438. 10.12799/jkachn.2010.21.4.429.

Menopausal Symptoms and Depression Among Midlife Women

• Lee HS
• Kim C

• KMID: 2292873
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.12799/jkachn.2010.21.4.429

Abstract

PURPOSE
This study was descriptive survey research to examine the factors affecting menopause, depression and menopausal symptoms, and the relations among these factors in South Korean midlife women.
METHODS
The subjects were 319 midlife women in Daegu City. Measures were Zung's Self-Report Depression Scale (1979) to check depression, and the Midlife Women's Symptom Index developed by Im (2006) to check menopausal symptoms. Data were collected from June 1 to July 31, 2010. Collected data were analyzed by mean, standard deviation, and Pearson's correlation coefficient through SPSS/WIN 18.0.
RESULTS
There was a statistically significant correlation between depression and menopausal symptoms (r=.692, p<.001). The factors affecting depression were age (r=.194, p<.001), income (r=-.307, p<.001), exercise (r=-.602, p<.001), and menopausal status (r=.224, p<.001). The factors affecting menopausal symptoms were exercise (r=-.158, p<.037), menstrual pain (r=-.171, p=.004) and menopausal status (r=.222, p<.001).
CONCLUSION
Intervention programs for decreasing menopausal symptoms in midlife women should be focused on relieving menopausal pain and encouraging excise from youth. Further studies will be needed to examine the relations among other factors including living style, area and menopausal symptoms.

Keyword

Woman; Menopause; Depression

MeSH Terms

Adolescent
Daegu
Depression*
Dysmenorrhea
Female
Humans
Menopause

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