An Analytical Study of the Relationship between Climacteric Symptoms and the Stress of Life Events

갱년기 증상과 생활스트레스의 관계에 관한 연구

  • Im Eun-Ok (School of Public Health, Seoul National University)
  • Published : 1994.09.01

Abstract

This study has been done in order to analyze the relationship between climacteric symptoms and the stress of life events. For the purpose of this study. objectives set up were as followings. : 1. Climacteric symptoms complained by middle aged women are studied. 2. The stress of life events experienced by middle aged women is studied. 3. The relationship between climacteric symptoms and the stress of life events is studied. 4. The relationship between climacteric symptoms and general characteristics is studied. and the relationship between the stress of life events and general characteristics is also studied. The sample size of this study was 462 cases. The subjects were middle-aged women. who were from 40 to 60 years old and resided in Seoul. Data were collected by using questionnaires which consisted of 122 questions from Jan. 1 to Feb. 7 in 1992. The questionnaires include questions about general characteristics. climacteric symptoms and life events. The measurement scales for this study were adopted from the climacteric symptoms scale developed by Chi. Sung-Ai and the measurement scale of stress related to life events devised by Lee. Pyoung Sook. The analysis of data collected was done by using SPSS-pc package. Firstly. general characteristics were analyzed by using descriptive statistical methods. Secondly. climacteric symptoms were analyzed by using descriptive statistical methods. the analysis of variance and correlation analysis. Thirdly. the stress of life events was studied by using descriptive statistical methods. the analysis of variance. and tests of independence. The results of this study are as followings. 1. General characteristics of the respondents are as followings: The average age is 49. 13. and the age group from 46 to 50 has $30.5\%$ in the respondents. Christianity is the major religion $(42.6\%)$. and the respondents with a high school diploma are $(43.1\%)$ of the respondents. $60\%$ of all respondents are housewives. and $90.5\%$ are married. The average number of children is 2.71. and the average number of family is 4.24 Monthly income of $39.1\%$ of the respondents is from l,010,000 Won to 2,000,000 Won. The premenopausal group is $4.9\%$. and $45.5\%$ of all respondents are satisfied with marrital life. $43.3\%$ of all feel happy. and $13.9\%$ feel economic frustration. $27.9\%$ of respondents are satisfied with sexual life. and $45\%$ of all report that the amount of recreational activities are more needed. 2. The average score of climacteric symptoms is 1. 8461 (The maximum score is 5.0). The symptoms complained frequently are nervousness. muscle-ache. fatigue. headache and knee-ache. Climacteric symptoms are significantly different in menopausal states. age groups. the number of children, marrital satisfaction. the feeling of life. self-reported health states and sexual satisfaction. 3. The life events occurred frequently were 'discord with husband', 'children's important exams', 'separation from husband related to works' and 'vacation'. When life events are analyzed by factors. the most frequently mentioned factor is 'marrital life'. The stress of life events is significantly different in a few general characteristics (age. the number of children, the number of family, monthly income, menopausal status, the feeling of life. self-reported health states, economic satisfaction). 4. The score of climacteric symptoms complained is significantly different according to the stress of life events (p<0.051, Especially, the difference is the widest in psychological symptoms according to the factor of 'couple. marrital life' among stressful life events. In Summary, climacteric symptoms complained by middle-aged women are related to the amount of the stress of life events. Whether life events are positive of negative is not important. Yet. climacteric symptoms and stressful life events are deeply related to general characteristics. so we can not insist strongly that one be directly related to the other.

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