Menopausal symptoms within a Hispanic cohort: SWAN, the Study of Women's Health Across the Nation

Abstract

Introduction Since the designation of people as Hispanic involves the amalgamation of a number of different cultures and languages, we sought to test the hypothesis that menopausal symptoms would differ among Hispanic women, based upon country of origin and degree of acculturation. Methods A total of 419 women, aged 42–52 years at baseline, were categorized as: Central American (CA, n = 29) or South American (SA, n = 106), Puerto Rican (PR, n = 56), Dominican (D, n = 42), Cuban (Cu, n = 44) and non-Hispanic Caucasian (n = 142). We assessed vasomotor symptoms, vaginal dryness and trouble in sleeping. Hispanics and non-Hispanic Caucasians were compared using the χ2 test, t test or non-parametric alternatives; ANOVA or Kruskal–Wallis testing examined differences among the five Hispanic sub-groups. Multivariable regression models used PR women as the reference group. Results Hispanic women were overall less educated, less acculturated (p < 0.001 for both) than non-Hispanic Caucasians and more of them reported vasomotor symptoms (34.1–72.4% vs. 38.3% among non-Hispanic Caucasians; p = 0.0293) and vaginal dryness (17.9–58.6% vs. 21.1% among non-Hispanic Caucasians, p = 0.0287). Among Hispanics, more CA women reported vasomotor symptoms than D, Cu, SA, or PR women (72.4% vs. 45.2%, 34.1%, 50.9%, and 51.8%, respectively). More CA (58.6%) and D women (38.1%) reported vaginal dryness than PR (17.9%), Cu (25.0%) and SA (31.4%) women. More PR and D women reported trouble in sleeping (66.1 and 64.3%, respectively) compared to CA (51.7%), Cu (36.4%), and SA (45.3%) women. Conclusion Symptoms associated with menopause among Hispanic women differed by country of origin but not acculturation. Central American women appear to be at greatest risk for both vasomotor symptoms and vaginal dryness.

The SWAN Song: Study of Women’s Health Across the Nation’s Recurring Themes

“…Within the group of Hispanic women, there is also evidence of variation. Puerto Rican women had the highest rate of metabolic syndrome, anxiety and depression 5,12 and trouble sleeping 11 compared to other Hispanic women, whereas Central American women reported more frequent vasomotor symptoms than other subgroups 11 . This was despite the fact that the Puerto Rican participants in SWAN were more likely to report higher acculturation 12 .…”

Predictors of impact of vaginal symptoms in postmenopausal women

“…While one prior study reported a lower prevalence of vaginal symptoms in Latina postmenopausal women, another reported higher prevalence in comparison to Non-Latina White women; however, neither of them explored differences in the perceived impact of symptoms on functioning or well-being. 27,28 …”

Vasomotor Symptoms and Menopause: Findings from the Study of Women's Health across the Nation

“…However, pronounced variation across different ethnic groups of Hispanic women has been noted in SWAN, with the highest rates of VMS reported among Central American women and lowest rates among Cuban women. 21 Chinese and Japanese women in SWAN are least likely to report VMS, with Japanese women least likely to report VMS and to describe them as bothersome. 1, 22 …”