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Onset of natural menopause in African American women
Julie R Palmer1, Lynn Rosenberg, Lauren A Wise
1Slone Epidemiology Unit, Boston University School of Public Health, Mass 02215, USA. jpalmer@slone.bu.edu
Objectives:
This study assessed predictors of the onset of natural menopause in African American women.
Methods:
We used mailed questionnaires to collect data at baseline in 1995 and during follow-up from Black Women's Health Study participants. Cox proportional hazards regression was used to assess potential predictors-including experiences of racism-of the onset of natural menopause among 17 070 women aged 35 to 55 years and premenopausal in 1995.
Results:
The hazard ratio (HR) was 1.43 for current smokers (95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.24, 1.66) and 1.21 (95% CI = 1.06, 1.38) for ex-smokers and significantly less for obese women and oral contraceptive users. Hazard ratios for most questions about racism were elevated by 10% to 30% but were not statistically significant.
Conclusions:
Earlier onset of natural menopause among African American women is strongly associated with smoking and inversely associated with body mass index and oral contraceptive use.
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