Associations between menopause and body image.

Introduction: Menopause significantly impacts a woman's life, marked by changes in sex hormone levels. Many perimenopausal women experience weight gain and other physical changes affecting their mental state and body image. The aim of the study was to evaluate the association between postmenopausal women's body image and the severity of menopausal symptoms. Material and methods: This survey-based study involved 271 postmenopausal female residents of the West Pomeranian Voivodeship. It was performed using the author questionnaire and Menopause Rating Scale, the Body Image Questionnaire by Alicja Głębocka, the Body Parts Satisfaction Scale and the Patient Health Questionnaire-9. Results: The participants had moderate menopause severity and were generally neutral about their appearance. No depressive symptoms were found in 31.37% of the women. Factors such as place of residence, education, onset of menopausal symptoms, and hormone replacement therapy influenced body image criticism scores. Education and employment status significantly affected depressive symptoms severity. The severity of menopausal symptoms was closely related to depressive symptoms and body image dissatisfaction. Conclusions: The severity of menopausal symptoms had a significant effect on body image and the level of depressive symptoms among the postmenopausal women.