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Postmenopausal hormone therapy: Who now takes it and do they differ from non‐users?
Author(s) -
TAYLOR Anne W.,
MACLENNAN Alastair H.,
AVERY Jodie C.
Publication year - 2006
Publication title -
australian and new zealand journal of obstetrics and gynaecology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.734
H-Index - 65
eISSN - 1479-828X
pISSN - 0004-8666
DOI - 10.1111/j.1479-828x.2006.00542.x
Subject(s) - hormone therapy , medicine , socioeconomic status , population , quality of life (healthcare) , body mass index , family medicine , gerontology , environmental health , nursing , breast cancer , cancer
Background: Considerable changes in hormone therapy use have taken place in the last few years. Aims: To determine current usage of postmenopausal hormone therapy and assess the trend and rate of change in hormone therapy usage over the last 13 years. Additionally, to assess differences between current users and non‐users for health‐related and risk factor variables. Methods: Questions regarding hormone therapy use have been included in an annual face to face population health survey of South Australians eight times since 1991. In 2004, additional questions on health status and quality of life were included. Results: In 2004, current use of hormone therapy was 15.4, 19.8 and 31.2% in all women over 40, 50 and 50–59 years, respectively. Ever use of hormone therapy among all women over 50 years was 46.5% with a mean duration of use of 7.46 years. Hormone therapy users did not differ from non‐users in chronic disease indicators, body mass index, complementary medicine or therapist use, other health service use, socioeconomic status or quality of life. Increased hormone therapy use was associated with higher income, better educated, employed and married women in their sixth decade. Current use has varied over the years, with an increase to 2000, but a drop in 2003 and 2004. Conclusion: Apart from menopausal symptoms, there is no evidence to support differences between users and non‐users in terms of quality of life or health characteristics, requiring more appropriate selection of women for hormone therapy.