Soledad, satisfacción y factores vitales en las mujeres españolas de mediana edad

Título: Life satisfaction, loneliness and related factors during female midlife

Resumen :

Background: Studies assessing life satisfaction and feelings of loneliness in mid-aged women are scarce.

Objective: To assess loneliness, life satisfaction and related factors in mid-aged Spanish women.

Method: This was a cross sectional study in which 182 women aged 40 to 65 completed the menopause rating scale (MRS), the University of California at Los Angeles loneliness scale (UCLA-LS), the life satisfaction index A (LSI-A), and a general socio-demographic questionnaire containing personal/partner data. Internal consistency of each tool was also computed.

Results: Median [interquartile range] age of the sample was 51[9.0] years. A 55.5% were postmenopausal, 47.3% had increased body mass index (BMI) values, 57.7% were abdominally obese, 1.6% had hypertension and 86.3% had a stable partner. In addition, 4.9% used hormone therapy and 19.2% psychotropic drugs. Multiple linear regression analysis found that higher UCLA-LS scores (more loneliness) correlated with MRS psychological scores, partner alcohol abuse, living in urban areas, lower LSI-A scores (less life satisfaction) and not having a stable partner. Lower LSI-A scores (worse life satisfaction) correlated with severe female economical problems, BMI values and UCLA-LS and MRS psychological scores.

Conclusion: Loneliness and life satisfaction in this mid-aged female sample was influenced by personal and partner issues which seem to play a much more relevant role than biological aspects. More research is warranted in this regard.

Autores : Fernandez-Alonso, A.M.; Trabalon-Pastor, M.; Vara, C.; Chedraui, P.; Perez-Lopez, F.R. Menopause Risk Assessment MARIA Group.

Direcciones :

1. Universidad de Zaragoza, Hospital Clínico, departamento de Obstetricia y Ginecología (España)

2. Hospital de Torrecardenas, departamento de Obstetricia y Ginecología (España)

3. Universidad Católica Guayaquil, facultad Ciencias Med, Inst Salud Mujer (Ecuador)