Abstract
Objectives
To investigate use-associated differences between parental and oral hormone therapy
(HT) users in reference to HT non-users regarding self-rated general health status,
quality of life, health service utilization, and selected chronic diseases.
Methods
All cases of last-week medicine use were recorded among 2248 women aged 40–79 who
participated in the German Health Interview and Examination Survey 1997–1999. 89 current
parenteral HT users and 322 oral HT users were identified. Health correlates were
compared between the two groups in reference to HT non-users.
Results
Oral HT users had a poorer current health status as well as an impaired health status
compared to the year before, were less satisfied with their health and life in general,
and showed a lower quality of life regarding ‘body pain’ and ‘vitality’ in comparison
with hormone non-users (all p < .05). Parenteral HT users showed no significant difference compared with HT non-users
and oral HT users, respectively, in these health correlates except for a less satisfaction
with health found in comparison with HT non-users (p = .002). Prevalences of cerebral-cardiovascular diseases were not different among women
using parenteral or oral HT use. Parenteral HT users visited the offices of general
practitioner and gynecologists more frequently than oral HT users as well as hormone
non-users (all p < .05).
Conclusions
Oral HT use is associated with a negative assessment for health well-being whereas
parenteral HT use shows largely a neutral effect. Further designated studies could
clarify whether the mode of hormone administration consistently affects health-related
quality of life and whether the mode of hormone treatment influences the choice of
outpatient facilities for surveillance of therapy.
Keywords
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Article info
Publication history
Published online: September 24, 2009
Accepted:
September 8,
2009
Received in revised form:
September 8,
2009
Received:
August 7,
2009
Identification
Copyright
© 2009 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
