A study of more than 16,000 women ages 40-55 has found that common symptoms of menopause differ by ethnicity, socioeconomic status, and lifestyle factors. The research is published in the September 1 issue of the American Journal of Epidemiology. All symptoms except forgetfulness were less frequently reported in Japanese and Chinese women than other ethnic groups. Hispanic women were more likely to report urine leakage, vaginal dryness, heart pounding, and forgetfulness. The ethnic differences, said Gold, raise some questions.
Some literature suggests hormonal levels differ by ethnicity.
Researchers also found that women were more likely to experience symptoms if they were older, had a lower educational level, had difficulty paying for basic needs, smoked, got less exercise than their peers, or had a high body mass index. Compared with women 40-43, older women were more likely to report hot flashes and night sweats, vaginal dryness, and forgetfulness. Women with less than a high-school education were more likely to report forgetfulness, heart pounding and hot flashes or night sweats. Lifestyle factors also affected symptoms. Compared with women who had never smoked, women who had smoked in the past were still likely to report many symptoms, including hot flashes, urine leakage, stiffness or soreness of the joints, heart pounding, and forgetfulness.