Age and Symptom Experience at Menopause in Puebla, Mexico

更年期是普遍现象，所有过了中年的女性都会经历更年期。然而，大多数关于更年期的研究都是在发达国家进行的，例如美国（明尼苏达州和马萨诸塞州）、加拿大、西欧（特别是荷兰）和日本。这项研究将检查在年龄和症状经验的变化，在墨西哥的城市人口更年期。普埃布拉市的三个截然不同的社区将被随机抽取，以比较三组妇女的经历，每组200名参与者。更年期年龄的变化将与许多变量有关，如吸烟习惯、童年营养、体型和生育史。更年期的症状经历将与诸如母乳喂养做法、目前的饮食、闲暇时间的多少和获得保健等因素有关。潮热频率也将在临床环境中对一部分妇女进行生理测量，以确定是否存在对潮热敏感性的跨文化差异。通过研究墨西哥城市环境中的更年期，本研究将提供重要信息，与最近北美、欧洲和东亚关于更年期年龄和经历的研究进行对比。有来自不同国家和文化的关于更年期年龄和症状的比较数据是很重要的，因为我们还不了解更年期的哪些方面是普遍的（即生物学上的），哪些方面受到文化的影响。

Menopause is universal, experienced by all women who live beyond middle age. However, most research on menopause has been carried out in developed countries, e.g., the U.S. (Minnesota and Massachusetts), Canada, Western Europe (particularly the Netherlands), and Japan. This research will examine variation in age and symptom experience at menopause in an urban population in Mexico. Three very different neighborhoods in the city of Puebla will be randomly sampled to compare the experience of three groups of women, 200 participants each. Variation in age at menopause will be examined in relation to a number of variables, such as smoking habits, recalled childhood nutrition, body size, and reproductive history. Symptom experience at menopause will be examined in relation to such factors as breastfeeding practices, current diet, amount of leisure time, and access to health care. Hot flash frequency will also be physiologically measured in a subset of women in a clinic setting to determine whether or not there are cross- cultural differences in sensitivity to hot flashes. By examining menopause in an urban setting in Mexico, this study will provide important information to contrast with recent North American, European, and East Asian research on age and experience at menopause. It is important to have comparative data from different countries and cultures on age and symptoms at menopause since we do not yet understand what aspects of menopause are universal (i.e., biological) and what aspects are influenced by culture.