Weight change in relation to natural menopause and other reproductive and behavioral factors in Japanese women.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the effect of menopause on weight change in Japanese women.


METHODS
Community-based sample of 828 Japanese women who were premenopausal and aged 40 to 54 years completed a self-administered questionnaire asking information on demographic factors, body size, reproductive history and dietary and behavioral factors in 1992. They responded to a follow-up questionnaire asking weight and menopausal status in 1998.


RESULTS
Women gained weight modestly, on average, 0.17 kg during the 6-year study period. Weight gain was significantly higher in women who remained premenopausal at follow-up than those who had natural menopause during the study period. Weight gain was significantly associated with early menarche in women who had natural menopause and with high parity in women remained premenopausal.


CONCLUSIONS
Reproductive factors rather than sociodemographic and behavioral factors appeared to be associated with weight change during the perimenopausal period. Onset of menopause may diminish weight gain. In contrast, early menarche and high parity showed relationships with weight gain.
Nagata
Chisato
C
Department of Public Health, Gifu University School of Medicine, Gifu, Japan. chisato@cc.gifu-u.ac.jp
Takatsuka
Naoyoshi
N
Kawakami
Norito
N
Shimizu
Hiroyuki
H
D000328:Adult; D001835:Body Weight / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007564:Japan; D008019:Life Style; D008593:Menopause / Q000502:physiology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D011159:Population Surveillance; D012098:Reproduction