Abstract:
Menopause is a process in the climacteric period, characterized by a reduction in ovarian activity, a fall in the fertility rate, and a range of symptoms
including irregular menstruation intervals. Most women enter menopause in their 40s, but this can vary from one individual to another. Although there
are many factors affecting the age of menopause onset, there is no general agreement on them. Studies have shown many factors to affect the age of
menopause, such as the mother’s age at menopause, the age at menarche, gestational age, use of oral contraceptives, irregular menstrual cycle, number of
pregnancies, body mass index, use of tobacco and alcohol, physical activity, unilateral oophorectomy, serum lead levels, consumption of polyunsaturated
fat, socioeconomic status and educational level. During this period, hormonal and biochemical changes give rise to various symptoms in the woman’s body.
In menopause period, physical, psychological, social and sexual changes have a negative effect on quality of life in women. Recently, different measures
have been used to assess women’s quality of life in this period of change. The purpose of this review was to examine the factors affecting the onset age of
menopause and the measures of quality of life related to menopause. J Turk Soc Obstet Gynecol 2015;1:43-9
