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Objectives: To analyze and compare the experience of climacteric symptoms and their associations with sociodemographic and health-related characteristics in two cohorts of Finnish women aged 52-56 years, born ten years apart and not now or previously on menopausal hormone therapy (MHT).Study Design: Nationwide population-based time-trend study with a large number of participants (n = 1986 + 1988).Main Outcome Measures: The experience of climacteric symptoms was assessed by 12 commonly used menopause-related symptoms.Results: Women aged 52-56 experienced more moderate or severe symptoms and fewer mild symptoms in 2010 than in 2000. Being unemployed or inactive was associated with more severe symptoms (P = 0.007), but employment status had no effect on the relative odds estimates.Conclusions: The influence of the birth cohort and time-period effects as well as work-related factors on the experience of climacteric symptoms in women not now or previously on MHT needs further research, particularly since the change in the experience of symptoms found in this study occurred within only ten years. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To investigate which patient characteristics are associated with the initiation of hormone replacement therapy (HRT) in a cohort of Finnish women.Study Design: Responses to postal questionnaires distributed to a nationwide, randomly selected cohort of women in 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005 and 2010 were analyzed. The cohort members were aged 40-44 years at the beginning of the study. Information on hormone replacement therapy was received from the national prescription register. Women who started taking HRT between January 1, 1999 and December 31, 2011 were included and previous users were excluded from the analysis.Main Outcome Measures: Initiation of HRT was the main outcome measure. The following explanatory factors for predicting the use of HRT were examined: sociodemographic factors, personality, health behavior, physiological and mental symptoms, chronic diseases and use of psychopharmaceuticals. The associations between starting HRT and the explanatory factors were analyzed with single-predictor and multi-predictor logistic regression models.Results: Factors predicting that a woman would start taking HRT were: living with a partner, weak sense of coherence, BMI less than 30kg/m(2), heavy or moderate alcohol use, symptoms of hyperactivity of the sympathetic nervous system, climacteric symptoms and use of psychopharmaceuticals.Conclusions: Women with a good sense of coherence can cope with climacteric symptoms without resorting to HRT. Clinicians need to bear in mind the burden of menopausal symptoms on a woman's personal and working life when HRT is being considered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The intensity of climacteric symptoms and their connection with sociodemographic background data were assessed among women who are or will soon be menopausal. Methods: A sample of 5510 Finnish women who were 42–46 or 52–56-years-old was selected to this ‘Quality of Life among Middle-aged Women’ Study and received a menopause-specific questionnaire. Results: Only 5% of the older and 36% of the younger women were totally asymptomatic. Altogether, 2% of the younger and 11% of the older women had severe climacteric symptoms. In the younger age group, a high symptom intensity was associated with living in town, having a low level of professional education, and being unemployed/laid off, whereas in the older age group, the experience of severe symptoms was associated with those having a couple relationship. Conclusion: Altogether 95% of women in the productive working age (52–56-years-old) surprisingly suffer from mild, moderate, or severe climacteric symptoms. Further even up to 64% of the younger women (42–46-years-old) suffered from similar symptoms. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]