Quality of life of Jordanian menopausal working and retired women and its associated factors: a cross-sectional study

Abstract

Objective: Life expectancy of Jordanian women has increased, indicating that the number of women entering menopausal age, during the prime of their working life, will also increase. Therefore, assessments of the quality of life (QoL) of working and retired women and factors associated with overall wellbeing, are essential for the provision of quality services and care. Method: A cross-sectional study was conducted with 200 Jordanian women between the ages of 45 to 60 years old. The Utian QOL tool was used to assess the quality of life among menopausal women. Multiple regressions were used to determine predictors for QoL for the whole sample and for each group of working and retired women. Results: The study shows that the total QoL for women was 77.5 ±14.4, with a significant difference (p=.023) in total QoL and the occupational domain (p=.003) between working and retired women. Employed women with fewer chronic diseases and using frequent preventive measures had a higher QoL compared to others. Conclusion: Working itself might be an important indicator for better a quality of life among menopausal women. Better working conditions and more attention from the health care providers for the menopausal changes and the preventive measures could enhance women’s perceived QoL in addition to increasing their productivity.

Level of adherence to diet and physical activity among menopausal women and influencing factors in Jordan: a descriptive cross-sectional study

“…Jordanian women are responsible for various aspects of their family life, including caring for their grandchildren and their aging parents and in-laws (1). The result of the present study is consistent with that of a previous study that found that most of the menopausal participants were married (1,8,32,33,41,43). Another study in Jordan observed that most of the menopausal participants were housewives and had children (8).…”

“…Such factors may limit the women's time and money for adherence to a healthy diet and physical activity. This result is similar to that of a previous study in Jordan that reported that most of the female participants had a BSC degree (1,8). Previous studies also found that most of the female participants completed primary education or had an education level that was below high school (9,19,25,32,33,41,43).…”

“…This result contradicts previous findings that revealed that having children may prevent women from exercising regularly and having a healthy lifestyle (41). Jordanian women are responsible for various aspects of their family life, including caring for their grandchildren and their aging parents and in-laws (1). The result of the present study is consistent with that of a previous study that found that most of the menopausal participants were married (1,8,32,33,41,43).…”

“…More et al (36), Nournezhad et al (9), Ozcan (25), Ranasinghe et al (32), and Tasleem et al (38) also found that most of the menopausal women in their study were housewives. However, Assaf et al (1) reported that most women in Jordan were employed and had five or more children. Other studies reported that most menopausal women were retired and had two children (19).…”

“…Menopause is a natural transitional period that affects around 1.5 million women annually (1). Menopause is defined as the permanent cessation of ovulation and reduction in estrogen and progesterone owing to diminished ovarian activity (2).…”