Table 1.
Characteristics according to age at natural menopause (N=11,212). The Black Women’s Health Study, 1995-2008
| Age at natural menopause |
|||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Characteristicsa | < 40 (n=586) |
40-44 (n=1,144) |
45-49 (n=3,456) |
50-54 (n=4,747) |
> 55 (n=1,279) |
| Age at baseline, y (mean) | 46.4 | 49.6 | 51.7 | 54.8 | 58.9 |
| Birth year, y (mean) | 1950 | 1948 | 1947 | 1945 | 1940 |
| Body mass index, kg/m2 (mean) | 29.3 | 28.5 | 28.8 | 28.8 | 27.4 |
| Education, y (mean ) | 14.1 | 14.4 | 14.5 | 14.6 | 13.3 |
| Age at menarche, y (mean) | 12.4 | 12.4 | 12.4 | 12.3 | 11.3 |
| Single or never married (%) | 18.7 | 18.3 | 18.1 | 14.0 | 12.1 |
| Current smoking (%) | 25.6 | 28.1 | 22.7 | 15.0 | 9.2 |
| Cigarette smoking ≥10 packyears (%) | 29.1 | 33.5 | 30.5 | 24.2 | 19.4 |
| Current alcohol intake, ≥1 drinks/wk (%) | 25.0 | 31.1 | 29.0 | 28.7 | 25.6 |
| Vigorous physical activity, ≥5 h/wk (%) | 10.4 | 9.1 | 7.5 | 6.3 | 7.3 |
| High vegetables/fruit dietary patternb (%) | 16.8 | 19.6 | 20.2 | 19.2 | 21.6 |
| High meats/fried food dietary patternb (%) | 22.4 | 23.8 | 21.1 | 18.2 | 15.8 |
| Oral contraceptive use ≥5 y (%) | 23.4 | 28.6 | 27.9 | 27.9 | 27.2 |
| Parous (%) | 77.4 | 80.5 | 81.5 | 84.3 | 79.6 |
| Age at first birth <20 yc (%) | 43.4 | 33.0 | 34.1 | 32.0 | 30.9 |
| Ever female hormone use (%) | 51.5 | 41.1 | 36.4 | 30.7 | 26.9 |
| Cardiovascular disease at baselined, e (%) | 0.2 | 0.2 | 1.0 | 2.3 | 4.2 |
BMI=Body mass index;
a
All characteristics are adjusted for age at enrollment in 1995 except for birth year and age at baseline;
b
The 5th quintile of dietary pattern score for vegetables/fruit or meats/fried food;
c
Among parous women.
d
Self-reported stroke, myocardial infraction or angina.
e
Among women who became menopausal during the follow-up