Domain-Specific Severity of Menopausal Symptoms and Emotional Eating in Midlife Women

Abstract

Objective: To examine the association between the domain-specific severity of menopausal symptoms and emotional eating behavior in women undergoing late menopausal transition and postmenopause, and to identify sociodemographic and clinical factors contributing to this relationship. Methods: This single-center, cross-sectional study was conducted in a tertiary family medicine outpatient clinic in Turkey. The sample comprised 211 women in the late menopausal transition or postmenopausal stage, classified according to the Stages of Reproductive Aging Workshop +10 criteria. Emotional eating was assessed using the Turkish Emotional Eating Scale, and menopausal symptoms were evaluated with the Menopause Rating Scale, which has somatic, psychological, and urogenital subscales. Multivariable linear regression and structural equation modeling were performed to evaluate associations between menopausal symptom domains, emotional eating, and selected sociodemographic and clinical variables. Results: In multivariable regression analysis, scores on the psychological (B = 1.32 [0.49-2.15], p = 0.002) and urogenital (B = 2.46 [1.36-3.57], p < 0.001) subscales of the Menopause Rating Scale were independently and positively associated with total score on the Turkish Emotional Eating Scale, while scores on the somatic subscale demonstrated a weak inverse association (B = -0.88 [- 1.80-0.03], p = 0.058). Higher body mass index, being employed, and being in the late menopausal transition were associated with higher scores for emotional eating, whereas being married and having a high school education were associated with lower scores. Structural equation modeling results were consistent with the regression findings and demonstrated good overall model fit. Conclusions: A differentiated pattern of associations was observed between psychological and urogenital menopausal symptoms and emotional eating compared with somatic symptoms. These findings highlight the importance of a multidimensional assessment of menopausal symptoms, specifically emotional eating, in middle-aged women.