A survey of the quality of life during perimenopause in Filipino women: A community-based study in Paete, Laguna

OBJECTIVE: This study aims to determine the prevalence of menopausal symptoms among Filipino perimenopausal women aged 43-48 years in a rural community setting. METHODS: This is a cross-sectional study conducted in a rural community. A self-administered, validated Women's Health Questionnaire, Filipino version, was given to 232 women aged 43-48 years. Data were analyzed using STATA 16.1/IC. RESULTS: Nearly 32% of respondents reported a negative impact of symptoms on their quality of life (QOL). The highest was seen in the physical/somatic (PS) domain followed by the vasomotor/menstrual and emotional/anxiety domains. Overall, majority of the scores reflect a good QOL. CONCLUSION: Filipino women in the rural community remain to have good QOL despite experiencing menopausal symptoms. A minority experience symptoms that negatively influence their QOL and most of these were in the physical/somatic domain. Education regarding awareness, treatment options, and expectations during perimenopause is important. Timely intervention can continue to improve the QOL of these women. Keywords: Community-based, perimenopause, quality of life