• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.31 no.11
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• pp.1490-1500
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• 2021

Various microorganisms reside in the human vagina; the vaginal microbiome is closely linked to both vaginal and general health, and for this reason, microbiome studies of the vagina are an area of research. In this study, we analyzed the vaginal microbiome of women before and after menopause to further increase our understanding of the vaginal microbiome and its contribution to general health. We did a 16s rRNA gene-based metagenomic analysis on the vaginal fluids of 11 premenopausal and 19 postmenopausal women in Korea. We confirmed that the taxonomic composition was significantly different between the two groups. In postmenopausal women, species richness was significantly decreased, but species diversity was significantly increased. In particular, among the taxonomic components corresponding to all taxon ranks of the vaginal microbiome, a reduction in Lactobacillus taxa after menopause contributed the most to the difference between the two groups. In addition, we confirmed through metabolic analysis that the lactic-acid concentration was also decreased in the vaginal fluid of women after menopause. Our findings on the correlation between menopause and the microbiome could help diagnose menopause and enhance the prevention and treatment diseases related to menopause.

• Journal of dental hygiene science
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• v.18 no.5
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• pp.312-318
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• 2018

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the relationship between early menopause and periodontal disease in postmenopausal women using data from the 6th Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (2013~2015). A study was conducted with 2,048 postmenopausal women aged 45 to 74 years. Participants were divided into the early menopause group (menopause occurring at age 45 years or before) and normal menopause group (menopause occurring after age 45 years). A community periodontal index greater than or equal to code 3 was used to define periodontal treatment needs. A chi-square test was used to confirm the bivariate relationship between the variables. Multinomial logistic regression analysis was used to adjust for covariates (age, education, family income, body mass index, alcohol drinking, smoking, visiting dentist in the last year, use of oral care products, frequency of tooth brushing per day). The risk of periodontal disease was higher in the early menopause group after adjusting for potential confounders (odds ratio, 1.59). In particular, the relationship between early menopause and periodontal disease was more evident in women with low education and those who did not use oral care products. The findings of this study suggest that early menopause is a significant factor of periodontal disease in Korean women.

• Women's Health Nursing
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• v.17 no.1
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• pp.10-20
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• 2011

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of integrated menopause management program derived theoretical framework of King (1981)'s goal attainment theory model for middle aged women. Methods: This research was a nonequivalent control group non-synchronized design. The subjects of this study were 37 middle aged women in Busan and experiencing menopause; 17 for the experimental group and 20 for the control group. Experimental group was educated for 1 hour group interchange activity and five minutes individual interchange activity, once a week during 8 weeks. Measurement for comparison were taken two times, at baseline, 8wks. The effects were evaluated with menopause symptom, menopause knowledge, menopause attitude and menopause management. Results: The experimental group was significantly lower than control group on menopause symptom (F=5.936, p=.010) and higher than control group on menopause knowledge (F=12.031, p=.001) and menopause management (F=5.861, p=.010) after integrated menopause management program. However integrated menopause management program did not make significant differences on menopause attitude (F=0.105, p=.374). Conclusion: Results indicate that integrated menopause management program could be an effective intervention decreasing menopause symptom and for increasing menopause knowledge, menopause management in middle aged women.

• Women's Health Nursing
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• v.14 no.2
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• pp.150-155
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• 2008

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to verify the effect of aromatherapy program on lowering body mass index and serum estrogen in obese post-menopause women. Method: One group Pretest-posttest experimental design was used. All subjects received intervention of aromatherapy program. The participants used 3% grapefruit oil, cypress and three other kinds of oil. BMI and Serum estrogen level of the participants' were measured by ZEUS 9.9(Resource Medical, 2004) and PACKARD Gamma Counter-Cobra II RI Manual(USA, 1997) before and after interventions being applied at the P. hospital. Data were analyzed by paired t-test using the SPSS/PC+Win 12 Version. Result: The level of serum estrogen and BMI of the participants were significantly decreased after aromathetapy program. Conclusion: These results suggest that the effect of aromatheapy program could be utilized as an effective intervention to reduce BMI and serum estrogen level in obese post-menopause women.

• Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing
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• v.52 no.2
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• pp.214-227
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• 2022

Purpose: This study was aimed at investigating the incidence and risk factors of dyslipidemia in menopausal women using a Korean community-based longitudinal study. Methods: The subjects were 245 postmenopausal women without dyslipidemia who had participated in the Ansan-Ansung cohort study from 2001~2002 (baseline) to 2015~2016 (seventh follow-up visit). The dyslipidemia incidence was measured as incidence proportion (%) and incidence rate per 100 person-years. The predictors of developing dyslipidemia were analyzed with Cox's proportional hazard model. Results: The incidence of new dyslipidemia during the follow-up period was 78.4% (192 patients), and 11.9 per 100 person-years. Mean duration from menopause to developing dyslipidemia was 5.3 years in new dyslipidemia cases. The triglyceride/high density lipoprotein (TG/HDL-C) ratio at baseline (hazard ratio = 2.20; 95% confidence interval = 1.39~3.48) was independently associated with developing dyslipidemia. Conclusion: Dyslipidemia occurs frequently in postmenopausal women, principally within five years after menopause. Therefore, steps must be taken to prevent dyslipidemia immediately after menopause, particularly in women with a high TG/HDL-C ratio at the start of menopause.

• Women's Health Nursing
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• v.4 no.3
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• pp.402-415
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• 1998

The purpose of study was to identify the degree of menopausal of age knowledge and management of menopausal women. The data were collected from April 1st to May 31th in 1998 and 368 total. Data were analyzed by SPSS/PC program. The results were as follows. 1. The average age was 45-50 years. General health state was good 71% mosty they were house keeper. 87.5% had religion. The married woman was 86.1%. Menopause treatment experience was 88.1%. The educational state was below middle school, 72.3%. 2. The high score of knowledge of menopause was the item of whether they conceive or not after menopause, irregularity of menopause, menopausal symptoms, of the possibility osteoporosis. 3. The score of knowledge was the highest at the group 45-50, the high education, and the high number of family members. 4. The score of management was the highest in self control category. No drinking & no smoking items were the highest. Sexual management and management by professional person were low score. 5. The higher score of the knowledge of menopause, the higher score of the management.

• Sleep Medicine and Psychophysiology
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• v.9 no.2
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• pp.96-99
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• 2002

Menopause, the cessation of menstruation caused by the decline in estrogen production, occurs in 95% of women between 40 and 60 years. Sleep disturbance is a frequent complaint during the perimenopause period. In contrast to premenopausla women, menopausal women experience more reduction in the total sleep hours and report more sleep disturbances, such as insomnia, noctiria and sleep disordered breathing. But the prevalence, etiology and treatment of sleep disturbances in menopause are still controversal. So further investigations are required to elucidate the factors that account for the differences in sleep disturbance between premenopausal and postmenopausal women. There are suggestive data that estrogen and progesterone deficiency may increase the susceptibility for sleep disorder in menopause. Furthermore, there are suggestive evidence from observational studies and a limited number of randomized, controlled trials that hormone replacement therapy after menopause improves sleep. However, the clinical relevance of hormone replacement therapy is unproved. So the overall benefit of hormonal replacement in postmenopausal women with sleep related disorders should be individualized to avoid potential side effects. Several studies evaluated the role of melatonin, because this hormone has effects on core body temperature & insomnia. But the exact dosage and the effects of long-term use of melatonin are unclear. So, caution is indicated in melatonin administration.

• Korean Journal of Clinical Pharmacy
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• v.27 no.4
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• pp.199-206
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• 2017

As the population ages, the life of women after menopause becomes much longer than the past, and the quality of life of old age becomes increasingly principal issue. There is a period that women experience the physical symptoms of menopause, although there are differences in degree, and the management of this period is a suitable time for women to improve their quality of life. According to the menopausal hormone therapy (MHT) and Timing Hypothesis, which has been proven in the Kronos Early Estrogen Prevention Study (KEEPS) and the Early vs Late Intervention Trial with Estradiol (ELITE) study, a relatively young woman before and after menopause can benefit from long-term beneficial effects such as prevention of osteoporosis and cardiovascular disease by early initiation of hormone therapy to alleviate menopausal symptoms. MHT should be considered for all women in healthy (without other important diseases) menopausal years, expecting to improve their quality of life through symptom relief in menopausal women and, in the long term, to prevent cardiovascular disease and osteoporosis. When applying hormone therapy to individuals, it is necessary to establish various treatment strategies according to the menopausal symptoms of individual patients (individualization of treatment) and judge the suitability of clinical application.

• Journal of Korean Public Health Nursing
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• v.3 no.1
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• pp.5-17
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• 1989

The purpose of this study was to investigate the natural menopause age of middle-aged women in Korea and to analyse various factors affecting them. For the collection of date, 1,140 women aged between 45-54 were selected through stratified sampling technics in Seoul and at a rual area in Kyong KiProvince. They were interviewed from Nov. 1 through Dec. 31,1987 by use of questionnaires made after pilot study had been performed twice. Among them the final subjects for analysis were restricted to only those who had experienced menopause or irregular menstruation during the past one year, the number of which was total 410:206 in urban and 204 in rural area. For the analysis, menopause age was used as dependent variables while fertility variables, socio-economic variables, bio-physical varibles, and insight of life variables were classified as independent variables. Dependent variables such as menopause was tested and analysed by descriptive statistical methods(e.g., frequency, percentage, mean, $X^2-test.$ t-test, ANOVA). The relation between menopause age and independent variables was analysed by use of Pearson's correlation coefficients. For the analysis of various factors affecting menopause age, multiple stepwise regression method was used. The obtained results are summarized as follows: 1. The natural menopause age of Korean women were 47.2 mean age: it was 47.7 and 46.7 mean age in urban and rural area respectively, which revealed that the former was later then the latter by one year. And the recollective error on menopause starting age between the menopause group and the group who had experienced irregular menstruation during the past one year was 0.4-0.7 year. 2. The main factors affecting the menopause age were (1) the duration of marital life, (2) the duration of oral pill use, (3) insight of life and economic status, (4) educational background. (5) menarche, (6) usual menstruation amount, (7) electic charge. and (8) area. These factors. altogether, could explain $18.4\%$ of factors related with menopause, and they took the high percentage in the order mentioned.

• Journal of muscle and joint health
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• v.30 no.2
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• pp.83-92
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• 2023

Purpose: This study aims to compare and analyze the changes in the physical and mental health status of middle-aged women before and after menopause and their quality of life over the past 10 years. Methods: A descriptive study was conducted by using secondary data from the 4th and 7th Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES) involving middle-aged women in menopause (N=8,363). Data were analyzed using the complex sample x² test. Results: Compared to 10 years ago, notable changes were observed in general characteristics. These included increase in age, education level, economic activity, and urban residency. In addition, there was an increase in alcohol consumption, a decrease in smoking, and a decline in regular exercise. The study also observed changes in obesity rates and an increase in dyslipidemia and stress levels, along with positive changes across all aspects of quality of life. Conclusion: The results indicate temporal changes in general characteristics, major physical and mental health factors, and the quality of life of middle-aged women in menopause. Thus, it is essential to consider these changes when designing health interventions such as health promotions and education initiatives for middle-aged women experiencing menopause. Further research is necessary for identifying factors influencing the quality of life of middle-aged women in menopause.