Age and Symptom Experience at Menopause in Puebla, Mexico

更年期是普遍的，所有中年以上的妇女都会经历。 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。 这项研究将检查墨西哥城市人群绝经期年龄和症状经历的变化。 在普埃布拉市的三个非常不同的社区将随机抽样比较三组妇女的经验，每组200名参与者。 绝经年龄的变化将与一些变量有关，如吸烟习惯，回忆童年营养，体型和生育史。 更年期症状的经验将检查与母乳喂养的做法，目前的饮食，休闲时间的数量，并获得医疗保健等因素。 还将在临床环境中对女性亚组的潮热频率进行生理学测量，以确定潮热敏感性是否存在跨文化差异。 通过研究墨西哥城市环境中的更年期，这项研究将提供重要的信息，以对比最近的北美，欧洲和东亚的年龄和更年期经验的研究。 重要的是要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，因为我们还不知道更年期的哪些方面是普遍的（即，生物学）以及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.