Menopause, which signifies the end of a woman's reproductive years, is one step in a continuum of life stages. Menopause-related hormonal changes can have an impact on one's social, mental, emotional, and physical health. This study set out to evaluate the mental health status and cleanliness habits of Bangladeshi menopausal women in the 45-55 age range.
Methods: From February to August 2024, 220 women who had been purposefully selected for the study participated in this descriptive cross-sectional survey in four different parts of Dhaka. A semi-structured interview questionnaire was used to gather data. The individuals' mental health was evaluated using the Perceived Stress Scale.
Results: According to this survey, the majority of menopausal women (80.0%) were married, and 60.91% of them had one or more children. This study found that around 74.27% of the individuals were on hormone replacement treatment. Additionally, the study found that nearly half (46.82%) of the participants used antimicrobial soap and 55.0% of the individuals used bar soap for cleaning. In order to maintain perineal cleanliness, 67.27% of people used sanitary napkins and 47.27% of people waxed. According to our survey, 31.8% of women had moderate mental health disorders and 23.4% had severe mental health issues. Additionally, a chi-square test study revealed that among menopausal women, having a chronic illness, smoking, education level, and a positive history of mental illness were all substantially related with poor mental health status (P-value<0.05).
Conclusion: This finding implies that perimenopausal care is crucial for promoting quality of life and healthy aging.