Climacteric symptoms among full-time working HRT never-users in different work environments: a cross-sectional study

BACKGROUND: Climacteric symptoms affect a large and growing proportion of women worldwide. Furthermore, women are increasingly participating in the workforce. Many women do not use treatment for their symptoms; however, little is known about how untreated women experience climacteric symptoms. This study examined the occurrence and severity of climacteric symptoms among full-time working women before treatment and compared their experiences across two different work environments. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted in a group of Finnish women aged 52-66 years who had never used any treatment for their climacteric symptoms and were employed full-time. The data were obtained from two population-based postal surveys. Statistical techniques were used to analyse the data. RESULTS: = 0.038). CONCLUSIONS: Hot flushes, sweats, sleeping problems, and loss of sexual desire were both common and severe among full-time working untreated women. In addition, symptoms were more troublesome among women in high-strain than low-strain jobs. Therefore, healthcare professionals should pay special attention to the above symptoms and to women in high-strain jobs.