Menopause-related quality of life in symptomatic women receiving care in the Coffee Region, Colombia, 2024–2025: a cross-sectional study

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate menopause-related quality of life in symptomatic women receiving gynecological care in the Coffee Region, Colombia, during 2024 – 2025. METHODS: An observational, cross-sectional study in 497 women aged 40 years or older with menopause-related symptoms, receiving care at a private secondary-level institution in Armenia and Pereira, Colombia. The Kupperman Index and the Menopause–Specific Quality of Life Questionnaire were administered. A descriptive analysis of sociodemographic and clinical characteristics and quality-of-life domains was performed. RESULTS: The mean age was 53.79 ± 10.68 years. The mean Kupperman Index score was 29.84 ± 11.96; 50.50 % had moderate symptoms and 15.89 % had severe symptoms. The most frequent symptoms were: hot flashes/sweating (70.82 %), irritability/nervousness (62.77 %) and insomnia (57.34 %). In the Menopause–Specific Quality of Life Questionnaire, the sexual domain had the highest mean score (4.21 ± 2.35), followed by the physical (3.70 ± 2.03), vasomotor (3.27 ± 2.43) and psychosocial (3.08 ± 1.93) domains; higher scores indicate greater impairment of quality of life. Vasomotor symptoms, sleep disturbances and mood disorders were associated with higher scores in different domains of the questionnaire. CONCLUSIONS: In this group, menopausal symptoms were associated with greater impairment of menopause-related quality of life, particularly in the sexual domain. This supports the importance of a comprehensive assessment of menopausal symptoms and their impact on quality of life.