ASSOCIATION OF AGE AT MENOPAUSE WITH POST-MENOPAUSAL SYMPTOMS, MENARCHE AGE AND OTHER REPRODUCTIVE FACTORS AMONG...

Area of Science:

• Reproductive Health
• Epidemiology
• Gerontology

Background:

• Menopause is a significant biological transition in women's lives, influenced by various factors.
• Understanding the determinants of age at menopause is crucial for reproductive health research.
• Menopausal symptoms can impact quality of life, but their severity varies widely.

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze the association between menarche, menopause, and childbirth in rural Indian women.
• To investigate factors influencing age at menopause.
• To assess the prevalence and variation in menopausal symptoms.

Main Methods:

• Cross-sectional study utilizing primary data from 75 post-menopausal rural women in Shimla, Himachal Pradesh, India.
• Data collected on age at menarche, age at menopause, maternal age at first and last birth, and menopausal symptom severity.
• Statistical analysis including principal component analysis to identify patterns in menopausal symptoms.

Main Results:

• The mean age at menarche was 14.23 years and at menopause was 45.35 years.
• Age at menopause showed significant associations with age at menarche and maternal age at first and last birth.
• No significant differences in menarche or menopause age were observed between age groups (40-55 and 56-65 years).
• 70.7% of women reported very mild or no menopausal symptoms.
• Three principal components explained 72.43% of the variation in menopausal symptoms.

Conclusions:

• Age at menopause is significantly associated with reproductive history, including menarche and childbirth timing.
• Menopausal symptom severity appears minimally impactful or absent in the majority of this rural Indian cohort.
• Reproductive factors play a key role in determining menopausal age, with limited variation in symptom experience.