Menopausal symptoms and its effect on quality of life in urban versus rural women: A cross-sectional study

AIM AND OBJECTIVE: To analyze the menopause-related symptoms and its impact on quality of life in post-menopausal women from urban and rural area. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A cross-sectional 1-year study was carried among women of urban (n = 490) and rural (n = 380) areas, attending the outpatient department in the urban area and a house-to-house survey in rural areas, by interviews with the help of a pretested semi-structured standard questionnaire. For assessment of the menopausal symptoms menopause rating scale (MRS) and for quality of life, World Health Organization Quality of Life Scale (WHO QOL-BREF) questionnaire was used. RESULTS: There was a significant difference between the MRS total scores of the urban (14.67 ± 6.64) and rural (16.08 ± 7.65) group. The somatic, psychological, and urogenital symptoms were high in rural women than in urban women. The results were not significant for urogenital subscale. The mean raw scores of physical health, psychological, social relationships, and environmental domains was more in urban than in rural women. The mean transformed scores (4-20) of physical health, psychological, social relationships, and environmental domains was more in urban than in rural women. The mean transformed scores (0-100) including the physical health, psychological, social relationships, and environmental domains was more in urban than in rural women. The result was not significant for physical health. CONCLUSION: The high proportions and the scores of MRS were observed in both rural and the urban women. The severity of symptoms was found more distressing for rural women. The quality of life in urban society was average and better than in rural women.