Māori women and menopause

Māori are the indigenous people of New Zealand who in total make up 14.5% of the population. Although this group has a significantly lower life expectancy than non-Māori, coupled with increased rates of mortality and morbidity, very little is known about the menopausal health needs of older Māori women. As the first step in addressing the health needs of this group, older Māori women's definitions, attitudes, symptoms, expectations and health needs at menopause need to be identified and described. The study Ngā Ruahine or "Māori in Menopause" is the foundation study of the Aotearoa Women's Health Initiative (AWHI). AWHI is a women's health programme being developed by the Wellington School of Medicine, which involves a suite of studies. The objective is to describe the journey of older Māori women through menopause and beyond and to compare and contrast the experience of Māori women from both traditional and contemporary upbringings, with reference to the Pākehā (European) population. It is hoped that this work could lead to further studies such as, for example, a longitudinal observational study looking at older New Zealand women. The potential significance of this approach is discussed.