Menopause Across Asia: A Comprehensive Meta-analysis of Age and Influencing Factors.
Level 3 - non-randomized controlled study
Systematic review and meta-analysis of observational (cohort and population-based) studies.
PubMed 40951861 · doi:10.4103/jmh.jmh_118_25
What was done
Researchers conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis following PRISMA guidelines using PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and Google Scholar. They included population-based and cohort studies evaluating the mean age at natural menopause across Asian countries (including India, Pakistan, China, Sri Lanka, Malaysia, Indonesia, Japan, South Korea, and Thailand). Studies on surgical menopause or premature ovarian insufficiency were excluded. Random-effects models were used to calculate pooled estimates, and subgroup analyses were performed by socioeconomic status, residence, body mass index, smoking, and education.
What was found
The pooled mean age of menopause ranged from 46.36 years in Pakistan to 52.0 years in Indonesia. Urban residence was associated with later menopause compared to rural residence (49 vs. 46.5 years). Delayed menopause was linked to higher body mass index, socioeconomic status, parity, and education. Earlier menopause was linked to smoking, alcohol use, stressful and physically demanding workloads, and early menarche. The abstract reports no numerical effect sizes or confidence intervals for these influencing factors.
Why it matters
This review synthesizes regional variations in the timing of natural menopause across multiple Asian countries. Identifying demographic and lifestyle determinants helps characterize reproductive health trajectories and postmenopausal health risks across diverse Asian populations.
Limits
The abstract does not state the total number of included studies or participants. Observational and population-based designs are prone to recall bias regarding exact menopausal age. Statistical precision metrics, such as confidence intervals, standard errors, and heterogeneity values, are omitted from the abstract.
Cited by
- context The average age of natural menopause in women is between 50 and 52 years.
- supports A younger age at menarche is associated with a younger age at menopause.
- contradicts Obesity accelerates ovarian aging and leads to earlier menopause.