Abstract

RIVAS ALPIZAR, Elodia  and  NAVARRO DESPAIGNE, Daysi. Factors related to medical care demand for climaterium. Rev Cubana Endocrinol [online]. 2003, vol.14, n.3. ISSN 1561-2953.

From menopause on, morbidity and mortality rates increase in females due to atherosclerosis, osteoporosis and cancer, so care and medical assistance services also increase; this is a topic that has been poorly studied in our context, even though it may contribute to plan more specific health services for this stage of life. With the aim of identifying the factors related to request of medical support by middle-aged women, a cross-sectional descriptive study was performed in which 311 women were surveyed, that is, the total number of females aged 40 to 59 years seen at four family physician´s offices from Polyclinics Area III in Cienfuegos province. They had been previously selected by one-phase conglomerate sampling. 63% of females were postmenopausal. 17,2% declared uncomfortable climateric syndrome. 21.2% had adequate knowledge on climateric/menopause. 29,9% asked for medical help; factors related to this were schooling of senior high school, uncomfortable climateric symptoms, adequate knowledge on climateric and menopasuse and early stage of postmenopause. On balance, for the first time the biological (uncomfortable climateric syndrome and late stage of postmenopause) and social (schooling and knowledge) factors related to request of medical support during climateric period are identified in our context.

Keywords : climateric; menopause; medical care; primary level; use of medical resources.