Nutritional Status of Menopausal Women in the Rural Area of Marrakech (Morocco)

Menopause is the permanent cessation of menstruation resulting from the loss of follicular activity of the ovaries. Very few studies have been conducted on nutritional status of menopausal women. Hence it enforces to debate the need for special attention to this group by health care centers. This work presents the results of a retrospective crosssectional survey, conducted on a sample of 500 women living in rural area of the province of Marrakech. The aim of this work is to assess the nutritional status of the menopausal women related with different factors. The results show that 43.8% of women were overweight and 32.2% were obese, the rate of underweight women is 0, 8%. In addition, 22.8% of women were in a normal state, depending on hormonal status, the majority of postmenopausal women and postmenopausal were obese. Sociodemographic and gynecological factors play an important role in the onset and progression of overweight problems. Efforts are necessary for creating nutritional and health awareness among rural women to ensure a better quality of life at menopause. This power must be correlated to find a psychic balance and practice of regular physical activity. KeywordsMenopause; nutritional status; rural area; Marrakech; Morocco