Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2003 Feb;93(2):299-306.
doi: 10.2105/ajph.93.2.299.

Onset of natural menopause in African American women

Julie R Palmer  1 , Lynn Rosenberg, Lauren A Wise, Nicholas J Horton, Lucile L Adams-Campbell
Affiliations

Onset of natural menopause in African American women

Julie R Palmer et al. Am J Public Health. 2003 Feb.

Abstract

Objectives: This study assessed predictors of the onset of natural menopause in African American women.

Methods: We used mailed questionnaires to collect data at baseline in 1995 and during follow-up from Black Women's Health Study participants. Cox proportional hazards regression was used to assess potential predictors-including experiences of racism-of the onset of natural menopause among 17 070 women aged 35 to 55 years and premenopausal in 1995.

Results: The hazard ratio (HR) was 1.43 for current smokers (95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.24, 1.66) and 1.21 (95% CI = 1.06, 1.38) for ex-smokers and significantly less for obese women and oral contraceptive users. Hazard ratios for most questions about racism were elevated by 10% to 30% but were not statistically significant.

Conclusions: Earlier onset of natural menopause among African American women is strongly associated with smoking and inversely associated with body mass index and oral contraceptive use.

PubMed Disclaimer

References

    1. Cummings SR. Epidemiology of osteoporosis in women. In: Korenman SG, ed. The Menopause: Proceedings of the Serono Symposium on the Menopause, March 1989, Napa, CA. Norwell, Mass: Serono Symposium; 1990:1–15.
    1. Kritz-Silverstein D, Barrett-Connor E. Early menopause, number of reproductive years, and bone mineral density in postmenopausal women. Am J Public Health. 1993;83:983–988. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Cooper G, Sandler DF. Age at natural menopause and mortality. Am J Epidemiol. 1998;8:229–235. - PubMed
    1. Snowden DA, Kane RL, Beeson WL, et al. Is early natural menopause a biologic marker of health and aging? Am J Public Health. 1989;79:709–714. - PMC - PubMed
    1. McKinlay SM, Brambilla DS, Posner JG. The normal menopause transition. Am J Hum Biol. 1992;4:37–46. - PubMed

Publication types

MeSH terms

Substances