Menopause, quality of life, body image, health anxiety, perceived social
support, rural, urban, women
Menopause is a natural biological process, resulting in wide variety of physical, biological,
socio-emotional changes among middle age women. The present study was carried
out to find out the influence of body image, health anxiety, and perceived social support
on menopause-specific quality of life among rural and urban women of age 40 to 55
years. Multidimensional Body-Self Relations Questionnaire, Health Anxiety Inventory
(HAI), Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (MSPs), and Menopause
Specific Quality of Life questionnaire (MENQOL) were used to assess the variables.
The findings revealed that perceived social support and body image are significant
predictors of menopause-specific quality of life for middle-aged women in rural areas,
while for urban women, it is primarily health anxiety. These outcomes can be utilized as
a starting point for increasing awareness about menopause among the general public,
which could lead to better management of menopause symptoms among women in
midlife and, as a result, enhance their quality of life.