Menopause in a globalized world - A systematic literature review focussing on the challenge of health problems associated with menopausal transition among women with a migration background

Abstract

Globalization and international migration movements have massively changed the population structure of most industrial nations in recent decades. The ever-increasing proportion of people with a migration background also poses a challenge for the medical sector. A particular problem is the stressful phase of the menopausal transition, which - although not a pathological phenomenon but part of the female life history - can lead to psychological and physical symptoms due to hormonal changes, which significantly impair the quality of life of the women affected. However, treatment concepts, as well as access to medical facilities and information, are geared towards Western women from high-income countries. Women with a history of voluntary or forced migration originating from non-Western countries represent a particularly vulnerable group. To enable personalized treatment, studies on menopausal transition in women with a migration background are required. The present review shows that studies on menopausal women with a migration background have been conducted primarily in classic immigration countries such as the USA, Australia, or the UK, but that there is a lack of such studies in countries with no long tradition as an immigration country, such as Austria or Germany. This is becoming a growing problem, as the number of menopausal women with a migration background is increasing.

Keywords: Culture; Menopausal symptoms; Menopausal transition; Menopause; Migrant women; Refugees.