Menopause symptom severity tied to race, ethnicity, regardless of socioeconomic status

Key takeaways:

• Reports of menopausal hot flashes, skin and hair changes, pain during intercourse and weight changes varied by race and ethnicity.
• Variations remained after controlling for socioeconomic status.

Regardless of socioeconomic status, menopause symptom severity was associated with race and ethnicity, highlighting differences in symptom experiences, according to study results published in Menopause.

“The study reveals that the severity of menopause symptoms varies among different racial and ethnic groups, irrespective of socioeconomic status, emphasizing the independent influence of race and ethnicity on menopausal experiences,” Eduardo Hariton, MD, MBA, reproductive endocrinologist at the Reproductive Science Center at the University of California, San Francisco, told Healio. “Understanding and addressing these disparities is crucial for developing tailored interventions and support systems to improve the quality of life for menopausal women from diverse backgrounds.”

Hariton and colleagues conducted a cross-sectional study with data from 67,867 women from the Evernow online telehealth platform from March 2019 to January 2023. All women completed a clinical intake survey that included demographic information, a medical questionnaire and a modified Menopause Rating Scale.

Overall, 77.4% of women were white, 9% were Hispanic, 6.7% were Black, 4.4% were of two or more races/ethnicities, 1.2% were Asian, 0.8% were Indigenous, 0.3% were Middle Eastern and 0.2% were South Asian.

Compared with white counterparts, Black women reported more hot flashes (OR = 1.91; 97.5% CI, 1.75-2.09). Hispanic women (OR = 1.58; 97.5% CI, 1.45-1.71) and those of two or more races/ethnicities (OR = 1.41; 97.5% CI, 1.26-1.58) reported more skin/hair changes. Indigenous women reported more pain during intercourse (OR = 1.39; 97.5% CI, 1.19-2.75). Women of Middle Eastern ethnicity reported more weight changes (OR = 2.22; 97.5% CI, 1.25-4.37). In addition, Black women consistently reported a higher prevalence of night sweats (OR = 1.87; 97.5% CI, 1.72-2.04), sleep disturbances (OR = 1.67; 97.5% CI, 1.5-1.86), brain fog (OR = 1.19; 97.5% CI, 1.1-1.3), pain during intercourse (OR = 1.38; 97.5% CI, 1.2-1.59) and unusual periods (OR = 1.65; 97.5% CI, 1.35-2.01) compared with white counterparts.

Racial and ethnic groups with lower socioeconomic status had slight reductions in odds for certain severe symptoms while maintaining high statistical significance, according to the researchers. The largest decreases were observed for night sweats among Black (OR = 1.78; 97.5% CI, 1.63-1.95) and Hispanic women (OR = 1.18; 97.5% CI, 1.1-1.27), fatigue/low energy among Indigenous women (OR = 1.55; 97.5% CI, 1.13-2.18) and unusual periods among women identifying as two or more ethnicities (OR = 1.33; 97.5% CI, 1.11-1.61).

According to Hariton, tailored interventions and support systems may be necessary to address the unique needs of diverse populations experiencing menopause.

“Moving forward, further research is needed to delve deeper into the specific social, cultural and biological mechanisms underlying the observed disparities in menopause symptom experiences among different racial and ethnic groups,” Hariton said. “Longitudinal studies could provide insights into the dynamic nature of these associations over time. Additionally, interventions targeting modifiable factors related to race and ethnicity could be explored to mitigate disparities in menopause symptom severity.”

For more information:

Eduardo Hariton, MD, MBA, can be reached at hariton.md@gmail.com.