Socioeconomic differences in the menopausal experience of Chinese women

Abstract

Objective This study explores the effect of employment status, occupation and education on menopausal symptoms experienced by women in an urban community in China. Study design Cross-sectional survey. Main outcome measures Menopausal symptoms, medication/supplement use to relieve menopausal symptoms, sociodemographic variables. Results Risks for more burdensome menopausal symptoms include less education, non-white collar occupation and unemployment/retirement status. Being employed in a white collar occupation and having higher formal education were protective for hot flashes, dry skin/eyes, heart palpitations and insomnia and were associated with increased usage of medication to alleviate menopausal symptoms. Conclusions As Chinese women age and continue working longer, they will spend increasing amounts of time postmenopausal and in the workplace. The development of worksite-based health programmes would be advantageous to female workers of menopausal age in China.