title: 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.
  
  
  METHODS
  Cross-sectional survey.
  
  
  METHODS
  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.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacy Practice, Master of Public Health Program, North Dakota State University, Fargo, USA.
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Huseth-Zosel
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacy Practice, Master of Public Health Program, North Dakota State University, Fargo, USA mark.strand@ndsu.edu.
authors.forename: Mark
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Strand
authors.affiliation: Medical Department, Shanxi Evergreen Service, Taiyuan, China.
authors.forename: Judith
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Perry
mesh_terms: D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000328:Adult; D002681:China / Q000453:epidemiology; D015897:Comorbidity; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003863:Depression / Q000208:ethnology; D005260:Female; D019584:Hot Flashes / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D006801:Humans; D008593:Menopause / Q000208:ethnology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D011602:Psychophysiologic Disorders / Q000208:ethnology*; D014505:Urban Population / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D016387:Women's Health / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D014931:Women, Working / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*
keywords: Aging; China; menopause; socioeconomic; women