%0 Journal Article
%T Differences in Menopausal Hormone Therapy Use among Women in Germany between 1998 and 2003
%A Yong Du
%A Martina Dˋren
%A Hans-Ulrich W Melchert
%A Christa Scheidt-Nave
%A Hildtraud Knopf
%J BMC Women's Health
%D 2007
%I BioMed Central
%R 10.1186/1472-6874-7-19
%X Current MHT use was ascertained in two periodic German national health surveys conducted in 1997每1999 and 2003每2004. MHT prevalence and user profiles were assessed within each survey. The association of the survey period (2003每2004 vs. 1997每1999) with current MHT use was analyzed in weighted multivariable logistic regression (MLR) models, pooling data from both surveys.The overall prevalence of current MHT use decreased by 40.2% from 16.9% of the sample in 1997每1999 to 10.1% in 2003每2004. The difference in prevalence between surveys varied with age decade with the smallest decreases among women 60每69 years of age (20.3% vs. 18.5%), compared to women of younger and older age groups (40每49: 10.7% vs. 3.9%; 50每59: 36.3% vs. 21.3%; 70每79: 5.7% vs. 3.2%). Variables independently associated with higher current MHT use in both health surveys included age category (curvilinear relationship with highest use among women 50每59 years) and residence in West vs. East Germany. A higher social status, lower body mass index, and more health-conscious behaviour were significantly associated with higher current MHT use in the 1997每1999 survey, but these associations were not found in the later survey. MLR analyses confirmed a significant decline in MHT use between the 1997每1999 and 2003每2004 surveys, however, the effect was modified by social status and was not significant among lowest social-status women.Current MHT use considerably declined among women in Germany between the pre- and post-WHI era. A convergence of current MHT use among women of higher social status with pre-existing patterns of use among lower social-status women suggests that MHT in Germany is now less likely to be used for health promotion.During the past two decades menopausal hormone therapy (MHT, the term used for both estrogen therapy and estrogen plus progestin therapy) has been widely proposed and prescribed for postmenopausal women, not only for the relief of menopausal symptoms, but also for the prevention
%U http://www.biomedcentral.com/1472-6874/7/19