Quality of Life and Depression among Postmenopausal Women in Pakistan

The reduced quality of life and increased depression among menopausal women places an increased disease burden on the healthcare system in developing nations such as Pakistan. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the menopausal-specific quality of life and depression among postmenopausal women in Pakistan. A descriptive cross-sectional study design was used. Respondents of the research included postmenopausal women visiting gynecologic clinics of healthcare equipment and facilities located in Pakistan’s twin cities. The sample size was calculated to be 382 patients to achieve a 95% confidence level with a 5% margin of error. Two pre-validated structured questionnaires were used for the collection of data in this study, i.e. Menopause Specific Quality of Life (MENQOL) and Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS). Mann-Whitney and Kruskal-Wallis (p ≥ 0.05) tests were applied according to different demographic variables.

The results indicated that there was a significant difference (p ≤0.05) between different levels of education and the presence of depressive symptoms among postmenopausal women. A significant difference (p<0.05) was seen among respondents having a different number of children. Respondents having no children were comparatively more bothered in the psychosocial and physical domain than other respondents. The results obtained from this study indicated poor quality of life and moderate depression among post-menopausal women in Pakistan. The stigma and fear associated with menopause should be reduced by providing counseling to women regarding the effects of menopause on the body and the importance of adopting a physical and healthy lifestyle by healthcare professionals.

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