The Age of Menopause and their Associated Factors: A Cross-Sectional Population-Based Study

Abstract

Purpose: To characterize the onset of natural menopause and to investigate the associated factors with the age of menarche and natural menopause in a population aged 29-59 yrs in Sao Paulo, Brazil. Methods: In total, 426 women underwent clinical evaluation and blood collection for biochemical analysis. Participants were classified as being in the premenopausal or natural menopausal stage. Results: The results showed that the mean age of menarche was 12.7 yrs and that the mean age of menopause was 47.5 yrs. The associated factors with women who began menopause before an average age of 47 yrs were age (OR: 0.85), luteinizing hormone (OR: 0.93) and follicle-stimulating hormone (OR: 1.03). Menopause of <47 yrs was negatively associated with age and luteinizing hormone. Follicle-stimulating hormone levels were associated with an increased risk of menopause before 47 yrs. Conclusions: The mean ages of menopause and menarche were characterized in this population. Folliclestimulating hormone level was the unique parameter which increased early, raised the risk to occurrence of early menopause. In this study age of menarche, social-demographic factors, ethnicity and anxiety index were not associated with the age of menopause onset.