Relationships between psychological symptoms and quality of life in pre- and postmenopausal Turkish and Polish women: A cross-sectional study

Abstract

Introduction: The climacteric period is the time during which women exit the reproductive period and enter a stage of diminishing reproductive ability. Purpose: This study was conducted to evaluate menopausal symptoms, depression, and quality of life in pre- and postmenopausal women living in two different countries. Materials and methods: The study sample comprised a total of 499 pre- and postmenopausal women between the ages of 40 and 65 living in Turkey and Poland. The data in this descriptive and comparative study were collected using a descriptive questionnaire, the Kupperman Index, the Beck Depression Inventory, and the WHOQOL-BREF Scale. Results: The mean depression scores of Turkish and Polish women were higher in the postmenopausal period (p<0.01). The mean depression scores were higher in the premenopausal period in Turkey, whereas they were higher in the postmenopausal period in Poland (p<0.01). When all the subdimensions of quality of life were compared between the two countries, psychological health, social relationships, and environment scores were found to be lower in Poland than Turkey (p<0.01). Conclusions: The menopausal period is affected by the lifestyles and cultures of women. For this reason, healthcare personnel who can reach individuals more easily in daily practice, should take cultural differences into account when providing care to women in the climacteric period. This will help to improve their quality of life during this period. Keywords: Menopause, quality of life, menopausal symptoms, depression