Quality of life of women during the climacteric in General Francisco Caballero Álvarez, Paraguay, 2024

Abstract

Introduction. The climacteric is a biological process significant to women's health, as it entails physical and psychological changes, the cessation of menstruation, and the end of the reproductive stage. Objective. To determine the quality of life of women in the climacteric stage in the Juan Pablo II neighborhood of Francisco Caballero Álvarez, Paraguay, during 2024. Materials and methods. A quantitative, descriptive, cross-sectional field study. A non-probability sample of 44 women aged 35 to 65 was selected. Data collection involved two instruments: the first, known by the acronym MENQOL (Menopause Quality of Life), identifies 29 symptoms grouped into four domains—vasomotor, psychosocial, physical, and sexual. The second, the Menopause Rating Scale (MRS), is a self-assessment scale for specific symptoms designed to evaluate climacteric symptomatology. Results. Participants aged 35 to 39 predominated (n=12). MENQOL scores were "fair" in the physical (57%) and psychosocial (52%) dimensions, and "poor" in the sexual dimension (30%). The entire sample (100%) reported not receiving hormone therapy. The MRS indicated mild intensity in the psychological dimension (50%) and an absence of complaints in the somatic (43%) and urogenital (59%) dimensions. Conclusion. These findings suggest that the impact of the climacteric on quality of life is generally mild, although a small group experiences greater symptom intensity; however, the entire sample manages these symptoms naturally, without hormonal therapeutic support.