Assessing age at natural menopause from self-reported data in a long-running population-based cohort study

Area of Science:

• Reproductive Health
• Epidemiology
• Gerontology

Background:

• Accurate determination of age at natural menopause is vital for epidemiological studies and clinical management of women's health.
• Self-reported data is frequently used, but its reliability requires thorough investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the feasibility of determining age at natural menopause via self-report.
• To assess the consistency and reproducibility of self-reported age at natural menopause in a long-term cohort study.

Main Methods:

• Longitudinal data from 3394 women in the Doetinchem Cohort Study (1987-2017) were analyzed.
• Menstrual status and age at menopause were self-reported up to seven times over 30 years.
• Proportion of determinable ages, within-person variation, and reproducibility across recall intervals were assessed.

Main Results:

• Age at natural menopause was determinable in only 57% of women reaching menopause; hormone use and surgery were common confounders.
• Significant within-person variation in reported age at menopause was observed, with 17% reporting differences of ≥4 years.
• Reproducibility declined with increasing recall intervals, from 62% agreement within one year at 5 years to 45% at 30 years.

Conclusions:

• Self-reported age at natural menopause is often inconsistent and difficult to determine, particularly with longer recall periods.
• Accurate prospective documentation of menopausal status, hormone use, and surgical history is essential for improving data quality in research and clinical practice.
• Standardized definitions and prospective data collection can enhance comparability across studies and support evidence-based female healthcare.