Conhecimento e percepções sobre o climatério e fatores associados à gravidade dos sintomas em mulheres brasileiras: estudo transversal

Abstract

Introduction: Menopause is defined as the transition phase between the reproductive and non-reproductive periods, characterized by a decline in female hormones and associated with physical, urogenital, and psychological symptoms that can cause doubts, uncertainties, and compromise women's quality of life. Objectives: To evaluate the knowledge and perceptions of Brazilian women about menopause and to identify associations between biological, gynecological, and sociodemographic factors in the severity of menopause symptoms. Methods: This is a cross-sectional study, approved by the Ethics and Research Committee of the Federal University of São Carlos (CAAE: 81614824.1.0000.5504). Women aged between 40 and 65 years were included and answered a structured online questionnaire regarding social profile, gynecological and obstetric history, knowledge about menopause, and the Menopause Rating Scale (MRS). Data were analyzed using Jamovi 2.5.3 software through descriptive statistics, Spearman correlation, and multiple linear regression (p ≤ 0.05). Results: 607 women participated, with a mean age of 48.9 (±6.1) years; 421 (69.36%) resided in the Southeast region, 237 (39.04%) had completed high school, and 331 (54.53%) were in stable relationships. Most women, 500 (82.37%), had children, and among these, 181 (29.82%) had two pregnancies. Regarding the total number of participants, 351 (57.80%) women menstruated in the last year, where 312 (88.80%) of these reported menstrual pain, with a mean intensity of 6.6 ± 2.6, considered moderate to intense. Among the most well-known symptoms of menopause are hot flashes (82.04%), vaginal dryness (75.78%), joint pain and fatigue (77.92%), sleep disturbances (66.23%), mood swings (84.86%), decreased libido (78.25%), reduced self-esteem (73.48%), and depression (59.80%). In the MRS, the domains presented averages of 6.4 (±3.8) for the somato-vegetative domain, 8.3 (±4.3) for the psychological domain, and 4.7 (±3.3) for the urogenital domain, with a mean total score of 19.4 (±10.5). There was a negative correlation between the total MRS score and education level (r = -0.145) and income (r = -0.234), and a positive correlation with the number of pregnancies (r = 0.161) and the presence of menstrual pain (r = 0.285). In multiple regression (R²aj = 0.061; p < 0.01), age, number of pregnancies, and menstrual pain were associated with higher MRS scores, while white ethnicity and private healthcare were predictors of lower MRS scores. Conclusion: Women have greater knowledge about the most common symptoms of menopause, and sociodemographic and gynecological factors influence the severity of symptoms assessed by the MRS, especially in the psychological domain. These findings highlight the importance of educational strategies and comprehensive care to improve quality of life during menopause.