THE ESSENTIAL
- In the event of menopause, women living in rural areas report more mood swings, muscle and joint pain, and vaginal dryness than those living in urban areas.
- In these patients, the prevalence of vasomotor symptoms, such as hot flashes, was also high.
- Low overall rates of use of menopausal hormone therapy suggest a need for education regarding this treatment, tailored to rural residents.
For the first time, researchers from the University of Washington School of Medicine and the University of Illinois at Chicago (United States) examined how menopause, marked by the cessation of ovulation and the disappearance of periods, can affect women depending on their place of residence, their socio-economic status and their access to health care.
To compare the experience of menopause among patients residing in rural, suburban and urban areas, the team conducted a study, published in the journal Menopause. For the purposes of this study, it recruited 1,531 women, including 686 adults, aged on average 50 years, at the end of the menopausal transition and 845 people aged around 65 years old in post-menopause. Participants were asked to complete a questionnaire about menopausal symptoms, resources and treatments. Then, the scientists separated and classified the patients according to their place of residence.
Muscle pain, mood swings, vaginal dryness… More symptoms in rural women
Results showed that volunteers living in rural areas experience greater psychological and physical burdens than their suburban and urban counterparts. In detail, rural residents at the end of the menopausal transition were more likely to suffer from muscle pain (65%) and panic attacks (30%) than those in suburban and urban areas. Among post-menopausal participants from rural areas, the most common symptoms were mood swings (23%) and vaginal dryness (37%). These manifestations were less present among city dwellers.
“The prevalence of vasomotor symptoms was high (71% at the end of the menopause transition, 20% at the postmenopause), but the use of menopausal hormone therapy was low (11% at the end of the menopause transition , 11% post-menopause)”, can we read in the research. According to the authors, differences in knowledge about menopause, treatment choices and experiences, depending on where they live were noted.
Menopause: treatment education should be tailored to rural women
According to Erin Dwyer, who participated in the work, some of the disparity in care is attributable to health care providers themselves, who may not have discussed hormone replacement therapy or menopausal symptoms with their peers. patients. These data suggest a need for education regarding interventions tailored to women residing in rural areas who rely on different resources for healthy aging.
