Miranda Hajdini1, Dhurata Hysaj Zyla2
1Departmentof Public Health Performance and Non Communicable Diseases, Institute of Public Health, Str: “Aleksandër Moisiu”, No. 80, Tirana, Albania;
2Local Healthcare Unit, Shkodra, Albania.
Aim: Menopause is an important period in a woman’s life, as she passes from reproductive to non-productive period, and during this transition is characterized by a decrease in estrogen levels, various symptoms may appear.
Methods: This is a cross-sectional population based study conducted during 2016. The study included 1040 women aged 45-64 in menopause, resident in Tirana districts in urban and rural area. Obstetric-gynecological, sexual health, current treatment, family history, personal behaviors, menopausal symptoms and hormonal therapy were evaluated.
Results: The mean age of women was 54.6 (± 4.81) years old, ranging from 45 to 64 years. The mean age of menopause was 48.1±4.2 years. Roughly 14.8% of women had an early menopause, while in most of them (85.2%) it was in time. Low and moderate rates of women’s medical examinations were found. Most women (64.3%) self-examined the chest, while the pap test performed about half of the women (51.9%), compared to 48.1% who did not perform the pap test. Overall, symptoms appeared in 833 or 80% of women. The most common symptoms were musculoskeletal pain (80.1%), hot flashes (77.9%), common fatigue (77.3%), headache (71.9%), sleep disturbances (67.9%), sweating (62.3%), frequent heartbeat (59.9%), skin (57.3%), nervous/depressive ((57.1%), weight gain (55.3%), meteorism (56.3%), poor concentration and memory (56.1%), frequent urination (49.1%), dry vagina (41.3%), etc. Significant and independent predictors of early menopause were: age, first menarche’s age, hysterectomy, use of the pill and smoking.
Conclusion: Regular medical examinations should be carried out as a precautionary measure and receive medical attention if needed. Promotion and intervention with specific programs on information and timely treatment of health complaints in women.
Keywords: estrogen, menopause, symptoms, treatment.