The purpose of this study is to follow a woman's progression through menopause in order to examine the effects on health related quality of life and use of health care resources, and to understand how women are using alternative therapies.
Menopause affects every woman as she ages, yet every woman's experience is different. We are seeking to enroll 720 women from the University of Pittsburgh's Division of General Internal Medicine Outpatient practice (GIMO) at all stages of menopause (pre-, peri-, and post-menopausal), between 40 and 65 years old. They will be followed for 5 years as they progress through menopause. Women will complete yearly questionnaires during their usual doctor's visit (or by phone or online if necessary) regarding general health, menopause and menopausal symptoms, health related quality of life, traditional and alternative therapy use, social support, and attitudes towards menopause and aging. We will combine this information with information from women's medical charts to look at how menopause and health related quality of life impact the use of health care resources. Additionally, some women may be asked about the use of health care resources, such as doctor's visits, hospitalizations and lab tests.
Study Type
OBSERVATIONAL
Enrollment
732
UPMC General Internal Medicine Oakland
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States
Health Related Quality of Life Score
The average enrollment scores of the dependent variable HRQOL \[the physical and mental component summaries (PCS and MCS) of the SF-36\] will be compared among women at different stages of menopause using ANOVA. If the HRQOL scores are not normally distributed on the original scale, a transformation is necessary. We will examine the association between both the baseline presence and severity of symptoms (0-4) and HRQOL using regression techniques. The association between the use of HT (yes/no) and HRQOL will be analyzed by ANOVA. The association between the use of CAM and HRQOL will be analyzed by ANOVA. The association between attitudes towards menopause and HRQOL will be analyzed by linear regression. Confounders, including age, comorbid medical conditions, and social support, will be included in the models. A final model examining the impact of all factors on HRQOL will be created using stepwise linear regression.
Time frame: Baseline survey
Menopause Management
We will record all methods used by women in the cohort to manage menopause. Methods will be categorized as use of: no method, HT, and CAM. A frequency table will quantify use of each method as well as type of CAM. We will analyze the relationship between both menopausal symptoms and attitudes towards menopause and methods used by Chi-square or contingency table tests.
Time frame: Menopausal Status Schema designed from STRAW and SWAN At least yearly Study Questions Menopausal Symptoms Vaginal dryness and hot flashes At least yearly Study Questions HRQOL SF-36 At least yearly CIF Social Support ISEL Yearly Study Questions Attitudes
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