ASSESSMENT OF MENOPAUSAL SYMPTOMS USING MODIFIED MENOPAUSE RATING SCALE (MRS) AMONG MIDDLE AGE WOMEN IN SELECTED URBAN AND RURAL AREA OF PUNE DISTRICT

Abstract

Menopausal symptoms experienced by women are known to affect their quality-of-life. The symptoms experienced at menopause are quite variable and their etiology is found to be multifactorial. The objectives of the study were to determine the commonly reported menopausal symptoms among middle age women using a modified Menopause Rating Scale (MRS) and to compare the commonly reported menopausal symptoms in-between urban and rural areas of Pune district. By using modified MRS (Menopause Rating Scale) questionnaire, 40 urban and 40 rural women aged 40-60 years were interviewed and documented the symptoms of menopause. In rural group, half (50%) of the samples had age 56-60 years and all were housewives. In urban group, 82.5% of them were housewives. All of the middle age women in rural group had mild commonly reported menopausal symptoms. 65% of the middle age women in urban group had mild commonly reported menopausal symptoms and 35% of them had moderate commonly reported menopausal symptoms. Z-value for comparison of symptoms between urban and rural women was 18.6 with 78 degrees of freedom. Corresponding p-value was 0.000 which is small (less than 0.05), the null hypothesis was rejected. ANOVA results for association of commonly reported menopausal symptoms with the demographic variable of middle age women in rural group. Since p-vale corresponding to education of middle age women was small (less than 0.05), the null hypothesis was rejected. Middle age women in urban group were found to have significantly more menopausal symptoms as compared to those in rural group.