Experience of menopause across ethnic groups: mapping the evidence through a scoping review

Menopause is a universal biological event whose experience is shaped by cultural and ethnic factors. The available literature reveals a wide range of perspectives across contexts and population groups, including women from diverse ethnic backgrounds. However, differences persist in how symptoms are conceptualized, expressed, and managed according to sociocultural environments. This scoping review aims to map the existing evidence on menopausal experiences among different ethnic groups and to identify recurring thematic patterns.

The review followed the Joanna Briggs Institute methodology for scoping reviews and was reported in accordance with PRISMA-ScR guidelines. Articles were retrieved from seven databases-Medline/PubMed, Web of Science, and Scopus-using database-specific search strategies. No language or time restrictions were applied. Studies were analyzed descriptively, and quality appraisal was conducted following the interpretive criteria proposed by Dixon-Woods et al.

Out of 446 initial records, 374 remained eligible for title and abstract screening after duplicate removal; 63 full texts were assessed, and 20 studies met the inclusion criteria. Ethnic differences were observed in both the prevalence and interpretation of symptoms: African American and Hispanic women exhibited a greater emotional and vasomotor symptom burden, whereas Asian and Indigenous women tended to frame the menopausal transition as a natural or developmental process.

This scoping review highlights that menopause is not merely a biological phenomenon but a culturally embedded experience shaped by ethnicity, belief systems, and social position. Substantial ethnic differences exist in the perception, reporting, and meaning attributed to menopausal symptoms.