Author(s)

Amit Sengupta, Nithya Srinivasan

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With the increase in longevity and demographic shift, menopause is emerging as one of the major health issues affecting middle aged women in developing countries. In this study our aim was to define & develop useful predictive indicators to assess menopausal health status in women with diverse socio-economic & cultural backgrounds. The model was developed using the data drawn from known published works as well as our own epidemiological & clinical case records. A linear equation was derived and expected results were obtained and analysed. The outcome was measured in terms of menopausal health & wellbeing index. Wide cultural diversity, unequal socio-economic status and gender inequality are some of the sensitive multi factorial determinants that influence the menopausal health. Education and availability of optimal quality health care facilities positively influenced level of awareness and improved the health seeking behavior & health literacy. The menopausal health & wellbeing index can be used as a predictive tool to develop interventional management modalities to improve quality of life.

Menopause; Quality of Life; Urban Indian Women; Socio-Cultural Factors; Health Literacy; Theoretical Model

Sengupta, A. and Srinivasan, N. (2010) Predicting menopausal health in a diverse population group through a theoretical linear model——Theoretical model to predict menopausal health. Health, 2, 1320-1326. doi: 10.4236/health.2010.211197.