Poster Session
Context: Menopause transition results in a complex interplay of biological, psyhosexual and socio-relational factors. Many women experience symptoms in this period of life, most of which are self-limiting but can be disabling and affect their quality of life. Objective: The aim of our study was to get data about proportion of women with perimenopausal symptoms, which symptoms are most often and most intensive, how they estimate their quality of life, the presence of daily recreational activity and intake of milk and milk products. The data were analysed in the years 1990, 2000 and 2010. Methods: A questionnaire contained information on personal, social and reproductive history, life habits and perimenopausal vasomotor and neurovegetative symptoms. Student’s t-test, Pearson chi square test and linear association test were used for statistical evaluation of the data. Results were evaluated as statistically significant when p value was less then 0,05. Patients: 585 women were enrolled in the study in the year 1990, 655 in the year 2000 and 334 in year 2010. Slovenian women were randomly selected, between 45-54 years of age. Results: The mean age at menopause is higher in each decade. In the year 1990 mean age was 47.7 years in 2000, 51.0 years and in 2010, 50.4 years. The most frequent perimenopausal symptoms in the year 1990 were nervousness (63.9%), sweating (60.7%) and hot flushes (55.4%), in the year 2000 nervousness (71.7%), concern (64.4%) and sweating (63.4%), the same symptoms with simmilar percentage were in the year 2010. The most severe symptom through all three decades was sweating. Allmost half of women notice decrease in sexual desire (in the year 1990 42.9% of women, in the year 2000 54.5% of women and in the year 2010 45.6% of women). Main outcome measure: Most frequent perimenopausal feature in all three decades in Slovenia is nervousness. Most intensive perimenopausal symptom which reduce quality of life among Slovenian women is sweating in all three decades. Conclusions: In Slovenia more than half of women aged 45 ‒ 54 years is in peri- or postmenopausal period according to our research. The most common perimenopausal features are present in two thirds of enrolled women. Most of the women perceive menopause as normal, physiological event in their life. As far as nutrition and recreational activity are concerned is estimated that women more and more often take measures regarding the prevention of osteoporosis.