Effect of Soybean Powder Supplementation on Menopausal Symptom Severity among Postmenopausal Women: A Community-Based Quasi-Experimental Study

Abstract

Background

Menopausal symptoms can adversely affect quality of life and daily functioning among midlife women. Due to concerns regarding long-term hormone therapy, interest has increased in non-pharmacological and dietary approaches such as soy-based interventions, which contain phytoestrogens with estrogen-like activity.

Objective

To evaluate the effect of daily soybean powder supplementation on menopausal symptom severity in postmenopausal women.

Methods

A community-based quasi-experimental pretest–posttest study with a control group was conducted among 100 postmenopausal women aged 45–60 years in a rural area of South India. Participants were assigned to an experimental group (n = 50) that received 25 g of roasted soybean powder daily for six weeks or to a control group (n = 50) with no such intervention. Menopausal symptoms were measured using the Menopause Rating Scale (MRS) at baseline and six weeks later. Group differences in symptom severity distribution were analyzed using appropriate statistical tests at a significance level of p < 0.05.

Results

Baseline symptom severity was similar between the groups. At six weeks, the symptom severity distribution differed significantly between the groups (p = 0.01). The experimental group showed an increased proportion of women with mild symptoms and a reduction in severe and very severe symptoms, whereas the control group showed minimal change.

Conclusions

Soybean powder supplementation is associated with reduced menopausal symptom severity. Dietary soy may be a feasible complementary strategy for symptom management in community settings.