Self-rated health, life satisfaction and personal characteristics of post-menopausal women under estrogen replacement therapy

Objectives. To describe the prevalence of oestrogen replacement therapy (ER T)-use among post-menopausal women in relation with personal and socio-econ omic characteristics and to examine the association of ERT-use with self-ra ted health and selected aspects of life satisfaction. Methods. Population s urvey data were derived from a cohort study of 511 Bernese women, aged 55-6 5 years. Data were collected by means of telephone interviews. Overall prev alence of ERT-use, and selected associations with personal and socio-econom ic characteristics were investigated using descriptive statistical methods and logistic regression. The relations of ERT-use with five self-reported h ealth measures were explored using Spearman's correlation coefficients. The associations of ERT-use with six dichotomous variables on satisfaction wit h various aspects of life were rested with chi-square tests in cross tabula tions. Results. The overall prevalence of self reported ERT-use was 17.6%. ERT was more prevalent women younger than 61 years than in women in the old er age group. Women with a body mass index (BMI) under 25 reported ERT-use significantly more frequently than women with higher BMI (OR = 3.16, CI 1.8 7-5.34). ERT-use was more prevalent in women with relatively high education : OR = 2.01, CI 1.18-4.00. The self-reported health measures and the satisf action items were not significantly associated with ERT-use. Conclusions. E RT-use among post-menopausal women was found to be associated with higher e ducational level and lower BMI. ERT-users did not report better health or l ife-satisfaction. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science Ireland Ltd. All rights reserve d.