Age at Menopause Differs — a Little — by Race and Ethnicity

Mean age at natural menopause in the developed world is 51.4, but the range — 40 to 58 — is wide. Race or ethnicity, one of many factors that can influence timing of menopause, was examined in the Multiethnic Cohort Study, a population-based sample of women living in Los Angeles and Hawaii. More than 95,000 menopausal women (mean age, 59.7) with no histories of breast, ovarian, or endometrial cancers completed self-administered questionnaires. Respondents included women of Japanese descent (28%), non-Latina white women (25%), black women (19%), U.S.-born Latina women (11%), non–U.S.-born Latina women (10%), and Native Hawaiian women (7%). Age at natural menopause was analyzed by category (<45, 45–49, 50–54, and ≥55).

Age at menopause was sim…