Menopausal symptoms and health problems of women aged 50–65 years in Southern Jordan

Abstract

Women in southern Jordan experienced multiple menopause-related symptoms and morbidities. The majority of them did not receive any health education about this phase of life. Preventive health practices and health-promoting behaviors are relatively uncommon. Effective health-care delivery systems responsive to menopausal women's health needs are highly recommended.

Severity of menopausal symptoms of Jordanian women

“…The most frequently reported somatic symptoms among Jordanian menopausal women are joint aches, bone pains, hot flushes and urinary incontinence. Additional symptoms include irritability and mood changes, weight gain and headaches 10 .…”

“…Al-Qutob 13 reported that Jordanian menopausal women complained of an appreciable level of morbidity including 'urinary incontinence', 'urinary tract infections', 'reproductive tract infections' and 'genital prolapse' 13 . Jordanian menopausal women complained mostly of somatic symptoms including joint aches and bone pain, hot flushes, and irritability and mood changes 10 . In a recent qualitative study by Mahadeen and colleagues 28 , Jordanian women considered menopause as a life transition, with no reproduction, leading to a stage of freedom, relief and rest.…”

Menopause: Cross-Cultural Considerations

“…This includes a median age of 50 reported in a study including 858 Saudi Arabian women of which 391 were postmenopausal [ 54 ], a median age of natural menopause of 49.3 years for 298 women in Lebanon [ 55 ], and a median age of 50 based on a study of 143 women in Jordan [ 56 ]. The mean age recalled by a sample of 1, 397 women in Iran was 47.7 ± 4.9 years [ 57 ].…”

Underlying Causes of Paresthesia

“…• Menopause: One of the most common reported somatic symptoms is paresthesia in the extremities (102). Decreasing estrogen production causes decreased structural effectiveness of collagen and thinning of the skin.…”