Year: 2026 | Month: April | Volume: 16 | Issue: 4 | Pages: 288-295
DOI: https://doi.org/10.52403/ijhsr.20260436
A Study on the Comparison of Post-Menopausal Health in Rural and Urban Areas of District Muzaffarnagar
Nidhi Nain1, Sumit Chahal2, Nirankar Singh3
1Assistant Professor, Department of Community Medicine, Gian Sagar Medical College & Hospital, Rajpura, Punjab.
2Assistant Professor, Department of Pathology, Gian Sagar Medical College & Hospital, Rajpura, Punjab.
3Professor & Head, Department of Community Medicine, Muzaffarnagar Medical College & Hospital, Muzaffarnagar, Muzaffarnagar.
Corresponding Author: Dr. Nidhi Nain
ABSTRACT
Background: Menopause is a natural biological transition marked by permanent cessation of menstruation due to declining ovarian hormone levels. With increasing life expectancy, women now spend nearly one-third of their lives in the postmenopausal phase, often experiencing a wide range of physical, psychological, genitourinary, and musculoskeletal symptoms.
Aim & Objectives: To study the socio-demographic characteristics of postmenopausal women and to compare vasomotor, genitourinary, central nervous system, musculoskeletal, and physical activity–related symptoms among them.
Material and Methods: This community-based cross sectional descriptive study was conducted on 600 postmenopausal women aged 45–60 years, with 300 participants each from rural and urban areas, selected using systematic random sampling. Data were collected through a pre-tested bilingual questionnaire by face-to-face interviews after obtaining informed consent.
Results: Mean age was comparable in rural (52.28 ± 3.90 years) and urban (52.08 ± 4.33 years) women. Illiteracy was higher in rural areas (62%), and most were housewives (rural 90.3%, urban 75.3%). Urban women had higher BMI (28.42 vs 26.39 kg/m²). Vasomotor (45%) and psychological symptoms—anxiety (58.7%), depression (45%), irritability (56%)—were more common in urban women, while genitourinary symptoms such as frequent urination (38.7%) and burning micturition (20.3%) were higher in rural women (p<0.05). Decreased stamina (59.3% vs 45.7%) and weakness (65% vs 38.7%) were significantly higher in urban women.
Conclusion: Postmenopausal health problems show distinct rural–urban variation influenced by socio-demographic and lifestyle factors. Area-specific health education, early identification, and targeted interventions are essential to improve the overall health and quality of life of postmenopausal women.
Key words: Postmenopausal women, menopausal symptoms, vasomotor symptoms, genitourinary symptoms, psychological symptoms.