Comparison of quality of life and related factors according to premature menopause using the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (2014-2017)

Abstract

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to compare the health‐related quality of life of premature menopausal women with that of normal postmenopausal women and to identify factors related to health-related quality of life in these two groups. Methods: A secondary analysis was conducted of a sample of 5,910 postmenopausal women drawn from women aged 19–79 years, using raw data from the Korea National Health and Nutrition Survey between 2014 and 2017. Health-related quality of life was compared between premature menopausal women and normal postmenopausal women using the t‐test and chi‐square test, and factors related to health‐related quality of life were analyzed by multivariate logistic regression using SAS version 9.4. Results: There was no significant difference in health‐related quality of life between premature menopausal women and normal postmenopausal women. Subjective health status and symptoms of depression were identified as factors related to quality of life in women with premature menopause, while engaging in aerobic physical activity, subjective health status, stress, and symptoms of depression were found to be related to quality of life among normal postmenopausal women. Conclusion: It is necessary to support self‐care measures for both premature and normal menopausal women to adapt to changes caused by menopause, and multidimensional strategies should be developed considering postmenopausal women’s subjective health status and symptoms of depression to improve their quality of life.