title: Menopausal symptoms among four major ethnic groups in the United States.
abstract: The purpose of the study was to explore ethnic differences in symptoms experienced during the menopausal transition among four major ethnic groups in the United States. This study was done via a cross-sectional Internet survey among 512 midlife women recruited using a convenience sampling. The instruments included questions on background characteristics, ethnicity-related factors, health, and menopausal status and the Midlife Women's Symptom Index. The data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics. Significant ethnic differences were found in the total number and severity of the symptoms. The most frequently reported symptoms and predictors of the total number and severity of the symptoms differed by ethnic identity. More in-depth cultural studies are needed to understand the reasons for the ethnic differences in menopausal symptom experience.
authors.affiliation: School of Nursing, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78701, USA. eim@mail.utexas.edu
authors.forename: Eun-Ok
authors.initials: EO
authors.lastname: Im
authors.forename: Bokim
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Wonshik
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Chee
authors.forename: Adama
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Brown
authors.forename: Sharon
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Dormire
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005006:Ethnicity / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D006306:Health Surveys; D019584:Hot Flashes / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000451:nursing; D006801:Humans; D020407:Internet; D008593:Menopause / Q000208:ethnology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D016746:Transcultural Nursing; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology; D016387:Women's Health