Menopausal Symptoms in Hispanic Women and the Role of Socioeconomic Factors

Abstract

The objective of this study was to assess differences in menopausal symptoms between postmenopausal (PM) Hispanic (H) and PM Caucasian (C) women. This was a prospective survey. Data from a convenience sample of 404 PM women (50% H, 50% C) were evaluated. Comparing H with C women, statistically significant differences (P < 0.05) in symptoms were noted with mood changes (76% H, 54% C), a decrease in energy (56% H, 36% C), palpitations (54% H, 26% C), breast tenderness (39% H, 28% C), memory loss (34% H, 22% C), and vaginal dryness (34% H, 44% C). When controlling for education and income, there were differences in mood changes, a decrease in energy and palpitations between the groups. Consistent with previous data, hot flashes (80% H, 75% C) and night sweats (67% H, 64% C) were the most common symptoms in the PM C women, and there were no significant differences compared with PM H women. Symptoms reported by PM C women in this sample are consistent with rates in the literature, but PM H women reported several symptoms at a higher rate. These differences remain when socioeconomic factors are considered, suggesting ethnicity may be an independent variable in menopausal symptomatology.

Factors That May Influence the Experience of Hot Flushes by Healthy Middle-Aged Women

“…59 Although the prevalence of HFs has increased in Japan, however, it is still lower than in most Western populations. 16,27,59 These findings, along with those from other studies, such as SWAN, 10,27,52,60 allude to an important observation that race=ethnicity may not independently explain HF prevalence, as no statistically significant association was found between ethnicity=race and HFs after adjustments for such covariates as lifestyle, BMI, smoking, menopausal status, and health-related quality of life.…”

A large multinational study of vasomotor symptom prevalence, duration, and impact on quality of life in middle-aged women

“…23 One study found that Hispanic women living in the United States display more intense menopausal symptoms when compared with white women. 24 This difference persisted even after adjustment for socioeconomic level, therefore suggesting that ethnicity could be an independent risk factor predicting symptom intensity. We have recently reported data suggesting that severity of menopausal symptoms observed among Latin American women could be related to their indigenous origin.…”

Ethnicity and Vasomotor Symptoms in Postmenopausal Women

“…9 In a study comparing vasomotor symptoms among white and Hispanic postmenopausal women, the two groups were reported to have no difference in the frequency of hot flashes and night sweats. 28 To date, few studies have described the difference in vasomotor symptoms between white and African American women during the postmenopausal period. Thus, the purpose of this study was to describe menopausal symptoms in a population of postmenopausal women and determine if there were any differences in symptomatology based on race.…”