Climacteric symptoms and their impact on quality of life among middle-aged rural Turkish women: A preliminary study.

This study evaluated the prevalence and severity of climacteric symptoms, their impact on quality of life, and their association with sociodemographic factors among middle-aged women in rural south-eastern Turkey. The participants were 257 perimenopausal and postmenopausal women aged 40-65 residing in Mardin. They completed the Menopause Rating Scale, Menopause-Specific Quality of Life questionnaire, and demographic forms. The mean age was 48.9 years; most were perimenopausal (55.3 %), married (96.5 %), and either illiterate (38.5 %) or had received only primary education (46.7 %). Only 4.7 % used menopausal hormone therapy. Joint and muscular discomfort predominated in perimenopause, while vasomotor symptoms were most frequent in postmenopause. Poor self-rated health, lack of menopause awareness, medication use, and history of psychiatric consultation predicted poorer quality of life.