Age-related Differences in Health Complaints: the Hilo Women's Health Study

The purpose of this study was to determine the age distribution of health-related complaints and symptom groupings from a random postal survey carried out in the multi-ethnic city of Hilo, Hawaii. Symptom frequencies and factor analyses were compared across three age categories: < 40 (32%), 40-60 (48%), and > 60 years (19%), (n = 1,796). Younger women were most likely to report headaches, menstrual complaints, irritability, and mood swings. Women at midlife were most likely to report fluid retention, trouble sleeping, loss of sexual desire, vasomotor symptoms, and nervous tension. Older women reported the least number of symptoms overall. Using multiple linear regression, menopause status, ethnicity, and alcohol intake were significantly associated with the factor scores for symptoms of menopause, after controlling for age, education, BMI, exercise, smoking habits, and financial comfort.