Abstract
Objective
To develop a model to predict the perceived severity of hot flashes (HF) and night
sweats (NS) in symptomatic middle-aged women.
Methods
This was a cross-sectional study of a community-based sample of 243 women with vasomotor
symptoms. Menopausal status was ascertained using the ‘Stages of Reproductive Aging
Workshop’ criteria. Women's ‘perceived control’ over their symptoms was measured by
a validated Portuguese version of the Perceived Control over Hot Flushes Index. Structural
equation modelling was employed to construct a causal model of self-reported severity
of both HF and NS, using a set of 20 variables: age, marital status, parity, professional
status, educational level, family annual income, recent diseases and psychological
problems, medical help-seeking behaviour to manage menopausal symptoms, use of hormone
therapy and herbal/soy products, menopause status, intake of alcohol, coffee and hot
beverages, smoking, physical exercise, body mass index and perceived control.
Results
Significant predictors of perceived severity were the use of hormone therapy for both
HF (β = −.245; p = .022) and NS (β = −.298; p = .008), coffee intake for both HF (β = −.234; p = .039) and NS (β = −.258; p = .029) and perceived control for both HF (β = −1.0; p < .001) and NS (β = −1.0; p < .001). The variables explained respectively 67% and 72% of the variability in the
perceived severity of HF and NS. Women with high perceived control had a significantly
lower frequency (t(235) = 2.022; p = .044) and intensity of HF (t(217) = 3.582; p < .001); similarly, participants with high perceived control presented a lower frequency
(t(235) = 3.267; p < .001) and intensity (t(210) = 3.376; p < .001) of NS.
Conclusion
Perceived control was the strongest predictor of the self-reported severity of both
HF and NS. Other causal predictors were hormone therapy and caffeine intake. All three
were associated with less severe vasomotor symptoms.
Keywords
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Article info
Publication history
Published online: May 27, 2011
Accepted:
May 4,
2011
Received in revised form:
March 21,
2011
Received:
February 18,
2011
Identification
Copyright
© 2011 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
