Objective

This study aimed to examine changes over a 10-year period in experiencing climacteric symptoms and their associations with sociodemographic and health-related background factors in a birth cohort of Finnish women who have never used menopausal hormone therapy (MHT).

Methods

This nationwide population-based follow-up study consists of 1491 women who during the follow-up period moved from the age group 42–46 years to the age group 52–56 years. The experience of climacteric symptoms was assessed by 12 symptoms commonly associated with the climacterium. The data were analyzed using statistical techniques.

Results

Both the intensity, expressed as a symptom score of four symptoms associated with a decrease in estrogen production (sweating, hot flushes, vaginal dryness, sleeping problems), and the prevalence of the five most common symptoms (sweating, hot flushes, sleeping problems, lack of sexual desire, depressive symptoms) increased clearly during the follow-up period. The examined sociodemographic and health-related variables did not explain the changes in experiencing the symptoms.

Conclusions

The results of this study can be considered in primary and occupational health care and in gynecological settings when working with symptomatic women or women with hidden climacteric problems and carrying out health promotion and counseling for them.