A symptomatic approach to understanding women's health experiences: a cross-cultural comparison of women aged 20 to 70 years

Abstract

OBJECTIVES: To determine patterns of symptoms across age groups, identify symptom groups associated with ovarian hormonal depletion or other variables, and develop a prediction model for each symptom. DESIGN: This was a cross-sectional survey of 4,517 women ages 20 to 70 years recruited from market research panels in the United States, United Kingdom, Germany, France, and Italy using a self-report questionnaire that included general health information and a checklist of 36 symptoms. Stepwise regression was used to determine for each symptom how prevalence varied with age, indicators of menopausal hormonal changes, and the effects of other explanatory variables, including body mass index, mor..