INVESTIGATING THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AND SEVERITY OF MENOPAUSAL SYMPTOMS AND QUALITY OF LIFE IN POSTMENOPAUSAL WOMEN REFERRING TO WOMEN CLINICS OF FATEMIYEH HOSPITAL IN HAMADAN, 2016

Considering the fact that women's physical, emotional and psychological safety in society is considered as an important factor in the stability of family and society, this study aimed to evaluate the relationship between domestic violence and severity of menopausal symptoms and quality of life in postmenopausal women. Women of menopausal age make up the majority of women in our society. This descriptive-cross sectional study is conducted on 356 of postmenopausal women referring to Fatemiyeh who had inclusion criteria by sampling method. The questionnaires used in this study were demographic variables, the standard questionnaire on violence against women and the questionnaire of SF-36 standard of quality of life and Greene Climacteric Symptoms Scale. Data analysis was performed using descriptive statistics (mean, standard deviation and frequency distribution tables) and inferential statistics (Pearson correlation test and one way ANOVA) were performed. The results showed that the severity of menopausal symptoms is increased by increasing the four dimensions of violence (psychological, economic, physical and sexual) and the quality of life is reduced by increasing psychological and physical violence (P<0.05). In addition, increasing the level of education leads to increase the quality of life score and reduce the severity of menopausal symptoms in postmenopausal women. Other findings include the association of age increase with the decrease in the quality of life score of women and the increase in the severity of menopausal symptoms in postmenopausal. According to the findings of this study, there is a significant relationship between the various dimensions of domestic violence and the quality of life of postmenopausal women. As the quality of life of postmenopausal women is reduced by increasing the score of all four dimensions of violence (psychological, physical, sexual and economic). In addition, the severity of menopausal symptoms is increased by increasing psychological, physical, and sexual violence. Keywords: domestic violence, quality of life, symptoms of menopause, postmenopausal women.