The Mean Age of Menopause and its Determinant Factors: A Cross-Sectional Study in Ahwaz 2001-2002

Over the next decade approximately 40 million women will experience menopause. Menopause and many reproductive events can play essential roles in women's life. Although the timing of menopause affects on long–term disease risk, little is known about factors that affect this timing. The aim of the study was to identify the mean age of menopause and determinant factors.In this cross-sectional study, 1612 cases of menopausal women in the age range of 40-60 years were the subjects of this study house by house from 2001 to 2002 in Ahwaz (centre of Khozestan province of Iran). The instruments for data collection were by self-report, interview and filling a questionnaire by trained personnel. Approximately 20 thousand families were searched for allocation of women at menopausal age. Based on statistic centre report Ahwaz City is divided into 30 clusters. Finally 60 cases (totally 1612 cases) from each cluster were selected. The data were analysed by Chi-square, means comparison tests (t-test, ANOVA) and correlation tests.Overall median age at natural menopause was 48  4.17 years. The results of the present study showed that smoking was associated with earlier age at menopause. Life events, irregular menstrual cycles in reproductive ages, history of pelvic surgery were associated with earlier natural menopause (p<0.02). While prior use of HD (high dose ocp), lactation, BMI>20 were associated with later age at natural menopause (p<0.04). There were no significant associations among age at menarche, marital status, kind of delivery (normal delivery or C/S) and age at menopause after adjustment for multiple factors.Mean age at menopause in Ahwaz is less than some international reports. This study showed that life events,irregular menstural cycle, prior use of HD,BMI and history of pelvic surgery significantly influence the natural age of menopause.