Study of Menopausal Symptoms using Menopause Rating Scale at a Tertiary Care Center: A Descriptive Cross-sectional Study

INTRODUCTION: Menopause is the permanent cessation of menstruation for more than a year resulting from the loss of follicular activity of the ovaries. It is manifested by vasomotor, psychological, and urogenital symptoms which can be assessed by an internationally accepted scale known as Menopause Rating Scale. This study was conducted to find out the issues of perimenopausal women and proceed for management and proper counseling. METHODS: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted among women visiting the gynecological outpatient department of a tertiary care hospital from June 2017 to May 2018 using the Menopause Rating Scale. Ethical approval was taken from the Institutional Review Committee (reference number 20122016). Convenient sampling was done. Statistical Package for the Social Sciences version 20.0 was used for data analysis. Point estimate at 90% confidence interval was calculated along with frequency and proportion for binary data. RESULTS: Out of 189 perimenopausal women interviewed, the mean age of menopause was found to be 50.2±2.1 years. The most common gynecological symptoms among the study population was abnormal uterine bleeding 66 (34.9%) followed by abnormal vaginal discharge 50 (26.5%). Among symptoms in Menopause Rating Scale, the depressive mood was found in 99 (52.4%) cases followed by joint and muscular discomfort 88 (46.6%) and bladder problems in 87 (46%). None of the women had a score on the Menopause Rating Scale more than 16 and did not require management for their problem. CONCLUSIONS: Most of the women didn't know menopausal symptoms. However, none required intervention from gynecologists for their problems reflecting better quality of life.