Menopausal Symptoms, Body Esteem, and Quality of Marital Relationship: An Exploratory Study

Abstract

The current study was intended to explore the impact of Menopausal Symptoms on Body Esteem and Quality of Marital Relationship. Sample comprised of couples (N=180). Wives experiencing perimenopause, perimenopause, and postmen pause with an age range of 35 to 60 years (M=45.21 & SD=7.47) were selected. The data was collected from Islamabad and Rawalpindi. Purposive sampling was used for the collection of data. Three instruments were used to measure study variables i.e., Menopause Rating Scale (MRS) for menopausal symptoms, Body Esteem Scale-Revised (BES-R) for body esteem, and ENRICH (Evaluation and Nurturing Relationship Issues, Communication and Happiness) Marital Satisfaction Scale (EMS) for quality of marital relationship. Results indicated that there was a negative relationship between menopausal symptoms and body esteem and quality of marital relationship. Menopausal symptoms predicted body esteem. There was a significant difference among menopausal status and study variables. There were significant difference between menopausal symptoms, body esteem, and quality of marital relationship along demographic variables. Different perspectives of husbands on the menopausal status of their wives and quality of their marital relationship were also discussed. Additional findings, limitations and recommendations for future studies were also discussed.