A Comparitive Study of Perimenopausal and Postmenopausal Profile of Working and Non-working Women

Menopause, the end of a woman's child bearing years, is marked by the cessation of estrogen and progesterone production by the ovaries. Working and non- working status may also contribute to significant variations in nutritional status. The objective of study was to assess the nutritional status, nutrient intake and menopausal symptoms of perimenopausal and postmenopausal working and non- working women. The study was performed by pretested and predesigned questionnaire- cum- interview for a period of eight months on one hundred respondents in Varanasi of which fifty per cent were perimenopause and fifty per cent were postmenopause women and they both contained equal division of working and non- working samples. In perimenopausal women, normal BMI was found more in non-working (72%) women whereas in case of postmenopausal women, normal BMI was found more in working women as compared to non- working women (72% and 48%, respectively). The prevalence of central obesity according to waist hip ratio was found to be higher in non-working perimenopause women. Regarding dietary intake, it was found that there was very minimal difference in protein, iron, fibre and calcium intake among all the groups. The study revealed, varying nature of menopausal symptoms in all groups with hot flushes, fatigue, lack of energy, irritable nervous and anxiety symptom in perimenopausal women while rheumatic pains, fatigue, lack of energy, forgetfulness and sleep disturbances being more prevalent in postmenopausal women.