Average age of Menopause in Kerala Women & Factors Influencing age of Menopause

Abstract

Background: Menopause marks an important transition in a woman’s life and is a significant marker of reproductive ageing in them. It is important to know the age of menopause in a particular population since it marks the cessation of fertility and because of its implications on other aspects of health like osteoporosis and cardiovascular diseases. Objective: To determine the mean age of natural menopause in Kerala women and the influence of various socio – demographic, reproductive or physical factors on age of menopause. Materials and Methods: A cross – sectional study was done on 120 post menopausal women above 40 years of age. Absence of menstrual cycles for one year was taken as indicative of menopause. The data essential for the study was collected from subjects through semi structured questionnaire. Results: The mean (+/- s.d) age of menopause in our population was calculated to be 48.3 (± 4.15) years with median age being 50 years. Of the various socio – demographic and reproductive factors that influenced the menopausal age, the use of OCP alone achieved statistical significance. Conclusion: The age of onset of natural menopause in Kerala women was determined to be 48.3 (± 4.15) years with median of 50 years. This mean age was found to be slightly older than the age of menopause in other Indian states and lesser when compared to Western literature. Most of the socio – demographic and reproductive factors except ‘use of OCP’ showed no significant correlation with age of menopause in our study. Keywords: Menopause, Onset, Women, India, Factors affecting age of onset.