Factors Influencing the Natural Menopause Age among Women Attending Gynaecology Outpatient Clinic at a Tertiary Care Hospital in Central India
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.26463/rjns.14_2_9Keywords:
Menarche, Menopause, Menstrual, Parity, ReproductiveAbstract
Background: A woman enters the fertility period and then eventually comes a phase when her ovaries start to malfunction. It is challenging to pinpoint the exact age at which menopause begins for each woman.
Objectives: The present study was conducted to assess the socio demographic factors, life style factors, menstrual and reproductive factors among postmenopausal women and to determine the association of these factors with the menopausal age.
Methods: The present hospital based cross-sectional study was conducted including 330 women aged 45-65 years visiting the Obstetrics and Gynaecology Outpatient Department (OPD) at a teaching hospital. The interview proforma comprised questions regarding socio-demographic profile, lifestyle factors, menstrual and reproductive factors. Statistical tests like Chi-square test and logistic regression analysis were applied. Frequency, percentage, Odds ratio (OR) with their respective 95% confidence interval was calculated and P value <0.05 was considered as statistically significant.
Results: In present study, 63.03% of women attained menopause before the age of 45 years. The odds of developing early menopause (≤45 years) among urban women were higher compared to rural women [OR: 3.39; 95% CI: 2.12-5.43]. Among married women, odds of developing early menopause (≤45 years) were 4.19 times higher as compared to unmarried, widowed, divorcee and separated females. The odds of developing early menopause among women who attained menarche at the age of ≤13 years were 52% lower than those who attained menarche at >13 years of age. The odds of developing early menopause (≤45 years) among women with parity ≤ 3 were 3.14 times (95% CI: 1.68-5.85) higher as compared to women having parity >5.
Conclusion: In this study, area of residence, marital status, socio-economic class, body mass index (BMI), history of addiction, age at menarche, age at first delivery and parity were associated with natural menopause age, indicating that social, lifestyle, and reproductive factors may have an impact on menopausal age.
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