OBJECTIVES: To determine (a) the relationship between physical and somatoform complaints, distress, life satisfaction and ageing in the female community and (b) to identify their psychosocial determinants.

METHODS: Two stratified random samples of the German female population (total of 2771 women) were investigated by standardised questionnaires of complaints (MFI-20, GBB), distress (HADS) and life satisfaction (LSQ).

RESULTS: When participants were divided into six age groups (18-30, 31-40, 41-50, 51-60, 61-70, >70 years), we found a continuous increase of physical, mental and general fatigue, inactivity and reduced motivation. Age-associated increases were also observed for exhaustion, cardiovascular and musculoskeletal complaints, but not for gastrointestinal complaints. This was accompanied by a reduced satisfaction with health and sexuality and increased depression and anxiety scores. Marked increases of complaints were mostly found in the sixth decade. However, depression already increased in the fourth decade, musculoskeletal complaints and reduced motivation peaked in the fifth decade, whereas mental fatigue did not increase significantly before the seventh decade followed by a rise of anxiety in women over 70 years. Most consistently, complaints were predicted by a combination of negative subjective health, higher age, lack of a partnership, and additional sociodemographic vulnerability (unemployment, low income, residence) and protective (religion) factors.

CONCLUSIONS: Community data provide important reference points in evaluating the ageing female. Based on regression analyses, we could also demonstrate the contribution of psychosocial vulnerability and protective factors to the development of age-related symptoms.