Experiences of hot flashes, urinary incontinence and mood among South Asian American women: the MASALA study

This study aimed to characterize menopause timing, type (natural or surgical) and symptoms in US-based South Asian women.
The study included 405 women of South Asian descent aged between 43 and 78 years who participated in the Mediators of Atherosclerosis in South Asians Living in America (MASALA) study. Menopause experiences were assessed with structured questionnaires. The study described sociodemographic, health and lifestyle characteristics and menopause symptoms by menopause stage, type (natural or surgical) and timing, and tested for differences using chi-square and Fisher’s exact tests.
Most women (92%) were postmenopausal, and 7% reported surgical menopause. The mean recalled age at natural menopause was 48 years, and the median recalled age was 49 years. Nearly a third of women experienced premature/early menopause (age ≤45 years). Overall, women reported hot flashes of any intensity (from mild to extremely bothersome) in the past month (30%), urinary incontinence in the past 12 months (37%) and depressive symptoms (15%). Menopause symptoms varied by menopause timing and type (natural vs. surgical). Particularly, the point prevalence of bothersome hot flashes of any intensity in the past month, urinary leakage in the past 12 months and depressive symptoms in the past week was 28%, 37% and 14%, respectively, for women who had natural menopause, and 40%, 48% and 20%, respectively, for surgical menopause.
Women of South Asian ancestry reported an earlier recalled age at natural menopause than the average age of 52 years reported in the USA. The burden of hot flashes of any intensity, urinary and mood disturbances suggested distinct postmenopause experiences

本研究旨在刻画美国境内南亚裔女性的绝经（menopause）时机、类型（自然绝经（natural menopause）或手术绝经（surgical menopause））及其相关症状特征。
本研究纳入了参与美国南亚裔动脉粥样硬化介导因素（Mediators of Atherosclerosis in South Asians Living in America, MASALA）研究的405名南亚裔女性，年龄介于43至78岁之间。研究采用结构化问卷评估受试者的绝经相关经历。本研究按绝经阶段、绝经类型以及绝经时机，对受试者的社会人口学特征、健康与生活方式状况及绝经相关症状进行了描述，并通过卡方检验（chi-square test）与费希尔精确检验（Fisher’s exact test）分析组间差异。
受试者中绝大多数（92%）为绝经后（postmenopausal）女性，另有7%自述为手术绝经。受试者回忆的自然绝经平均年龄为48岁，中位年龄为49岁。近三分之一的女性曾发生早发性/提前绝经（premature/early menopause，年龄≤45岁）。整体而言，30%的女性自述过去1个月内出现过任一程度的潮热（hot flashes，从轻度到极度困扰），37%在过去12个月内存在尿失禁（urinary incontinence）问题，15%存在抑郁症状（depressive symptoms）。绝经症状随绝经时机与类型（自然绝经 vs. 手术绝经）存在显著差异。具体而言，自然绝经女性过去1个月内任一程度困扰性潮热、过去12个月内尿漏以及过去1周内抑郁症状的时点患病率（point prevalence）分别为28%、37%与14%；而手术绝经女性的对应患病率分别为40%、48%与20%。
南亚裔女性自述的自然绝经年龄早于美国人群平均自然绝经年龄（52岁）。任一程度潮热、泌尿系统与情绪障碍的负担情况，反映出该群体存在独特的绝经后体验。