PSYCHOLOGICAL WELL-BEING, MIDLIFE AND THE MENOPAUSE

Few studies of women's health in the menopausal years have formally as sessed well being. The present study aimed to determine whether well-b eing during mid-life related to menopausal status, social circumstance , health status, interpersonal stress, attitudes and lifestyle behavio urs. A random sample of 2000 Melbourne women aged 45-55 years were sou ght by random digital telephone dialling. A response rate of 70.6% was achieved. Interviews conducted on the telephone included a well-being scale - the Affectometer 2. The final data set, comprising 1503 indiv iduals, was subjected to analyses of variance. Menopausal status did n ot significantly affect well-being. Well-being was found to be signifi cantly related to current health status variables of general psychosom atic symptoms, general respiratory symptoms, history of premenstrual c omplaints, overall health assessment and interpersonal stress. Attitud es to ageing and to menopause were also significantly related to well- being scores. Lifestyle behaviours of smoking, exercise and marital st atus were also significantly related to well-being. Thus well-being of urban Australian-born, mid-aged women was related to current health s tatus, psychosocial and lifestyle variables rather than to endocrine c hanges of the menopause.