Attitudes toward menopause and aging across ethnic/racial groups.
OBJECTIVE
Attitudes have a potential role to play in the experience of menopause. The objective of this study was to examine the degree to which attitudes toward menopause and aging vary across ethnic groups and menopausal status (ie, premenopausal through postmenopausal).


METHODS
More than 16,000 women were interviewed by telephone as part of the Study of Women's Health Across the Nation. They represented five ethnic/racial groups (African American, white, Chinese American, Japanese American, and Hispanic) from seven geographical sites (Boston, MA; Pittsburgh, PA; Chicago, IL; Michigan; New Jersey; and northern and southern California).


RESULTS
African American women were significantly more positive in attitude. The least positive groups were the less acculturated Chinese American and Japanese American women. Menopausal status was not a consistent predictor of attitude across ethnic groups.


CONCLUSIONS
In general, women's attitudes toward menopause range from neutral to positive. Ethnic groups within the United States vary slightly, but reliably, in their attitudes toward menopause and aging. Factors other than those directly associated with menopausal status seem to play a role in attitude.
Sommer
B
B
Department of Psychology, University of California, Davis 95616-8686, USA. basommer@ucdavis.edu
Avis
N
N
Meyer
P
P
Ory
M
M
Madden
T
T
Kagawa-Singer
M
M
Mouton
C
C
Rasor
N O
NO
Adler
S
S
D000328:Adult; D001741:Black or African American / Q000523:psychology; D000368:Aged; D000375:Aging / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000523:psychology*; D001213:Asian / Q000523:psychology; D001294:Attitude to Health; D003431:Cross-Cultural Comparison; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006630:Hispanic or Latino / Q000523:psychology; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008593:Menopause / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000523:psychology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D014481:United States; D044465:White People / Q000523:psychology; D016387:Women's Health