Comparative Effects of Natural, Surgical, and Premature Menopause on Quality of Life, Sexual Function, and Depression

Abstract

Objective: This study aimed to compare quality of life, depression levels, and sexual function among women with natural, surgical, and premature menopause.
Methods: This cross-sectional observational study was conducted between July and October 2018 at the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Sakarya Training and Research Hospital. A total of 315 women were included and categorized according to menopausal type as natural (n = 164), surgical (n = 100), or premature menopause (n = 51). Data were collected using the Menopause-Specific Quality of Life Questionnaire (MENQOL), the Beck Depression Inventory, and the Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI).
Results: The mean age of the participants was 50.09 ± 6.26 years. Depression was identified in 23.8% of the women, with no statistically significant difference observed among menopause groups. Although no significant differences were found in total MENQOL scores, vasomotor symptom scores were significantly higher in the surgical menopause group compared with the natural and premature menopause groups (p < 0.05). Total FSFI scores were significantly higher in the premature menopause group than in the other groups, whereas no significant difference was observed between the natural and surgical menopause groups. FSFI subdomain scores for desire and pain did not differ significantly among the three groups (p > 0.05).
Conclusions: Differences in quality of life, depression levels, and sexual function were observed across menopausal types, reflecting the influence of menopausal etiology and timing. These findings highlight the need for individualized approaches to improve quality of life, sexual health, and psychological well-being in menopausal women.

Keywords

• Menopause
• Sexual function
• Depression
• Quality of life

Project Number

71522473/050.01.04/174

Ethical Statement

Ethical approval was obtained from the Sakarya University Faculty of Medicine Non-Interventional Clinical Research Ethics Committee (Project ID: 71522473/050.01.04/174).

Thanks

This article was derived from the medical specialty thesis of Dr. Funda Tozlu completed at the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Faculty of Medicine, Sakarya University.

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