Correlates of the age at natural menopause in Morocco.
OBJECTIVE
To determine the median age of natural menopause and factors associated with the timing of menopause in Morocco.


METHODS
A population-based sample of 299 women from Rabat, Morocco were interviewed using a semi-structured questionnaire.


METHODS
Logit analysis and logistic regression were used to estimate the median age and identify factors associated with the age at menopause.


RESULTS
The median age of natural menopause in Morocco is estimated to be 48.4 years (95% CI: 36.9, 70.3). Women who reported the onset of menstruation at age 11 or younger (OR = 2.84, 95% CI: 1.00, 8.10) had an earlier age at menopause than women who started menstruating at age 12 or older. Women who had ever used oral contraceptives were more likely to have a later age at menopause (OR = 0.55, 95% CI: 0.30, 1.00). The length of time a woman used oral contraceptives influenced the timing of the menopause in unadjusted models but after adjusting for the age at menarche the effect was no longer statistically significant. Marital status, parity, education level, and social class were not statistically associated with the age at menopause.


CONCLUSIONS
The estimated age at natural menopause in Morocco is 1-3 years earlier than the median ages reported in industrialized countries and some developing countries. Factors that alter the frequency of ovulation or rate of follicular atresia appear to be important in determining the age at menopause.
Reynolds
R F
RF
Safety Evaluation and Epidemiology, Pfizer, Inc., New York, NY 10017, USA. robert.reynolds@pfizer.com
Obermeyer
C M
CM
D000375:Aging / Q000502:physiology*; D004522:Educational Status; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D017533:Marital Status; D008593:Menopause / Q000502:physiology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009018:Morocco; D011159:Population Surveillance; D012923:Social Class; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires