Research Square · Sep 1, 2026
Investigating the association between menopausal symptoms, healthcare engagement, and treatment satisfaction: a SEM approach
By Jones C, Martin-Key NA, Babbitt K et al.
Menopause presents with a range of vasomotor, psychosocial, physical, and sexual symptoms that often require targeted treatments and are associated with unique healthcare engagement barriers. Using structural equation modelling, this study tested whether healthcare engagement, measured by the number of different healthcare professionals (HCPs) seen and patient involvement in treatment discussions, mediated the effect of symptom number on treatment satisfaction. Online survey data from 1,660 respondents across five English-speaking countries were analysed. Greater number of symptoms was associated with lower treatment satisfaction but also with consultation with a greater number of HCPs, which partially mediated this relationship. When examined by symptom type, vasomotor and psychosocial symptoms were indirectly associated with higher treatment satisfaction through greater involvement in treatment discussions. Physical symptoms were directly associated with lower treatment satisfaction, whereas sexual symptoms were indirectly associated with higher treatment satisfaction through consultation with multiple HCPs. These findings highlight the importance of healthcare engagement in shaping treatment satisfaction and suggest that tailoring support according to symptom type may improve treatment experiences.