Table 1.
Characteristics of the Study of Women’s Health Across the Nation (SWAN) Participants in Analyses of Total VMS Duration and Post-FMP Persistencea
| Characteristic | Total VMS Duration (n = 1449) |
Post-FMP Persistence (n = 881) |
|---|---|---|
| Age, mean (SD), yb | 50.2 (3.9) | 51.1 (3.7) |
| Menopausal transition stage, No. (%)b | (n = 1440) | (n = 879) |
| Premenopause | 183 (12.7) | 72 (8.2) |
| Early perimenopause | 700 (48.6) | 348 (39.6) |
| Late perimenopause | 266 (18.5) | 191 (21.7) |
| Postmenopause | 291 (20.2) | 268 (30.5) |
| Race/ethnicity, No. (%) | ||
| African American | 479 (33.1) | 310 (35.2) |
| Non-Hispanic white | 652 (45.0) | 380 (43.1) |
| Chinese | 95 (6.6) | 65 (7.4) |
| Hispanic | 109 (7.5) | 50 (5.7) |
| Japanese | 114 (7.9) | 76 (8.6) |
| Married or partnered status, No./Total (%)b | 971/1403 (69.2) | 591/850 (69.5) |
| Financial strain, No. (%)c | (n = 1436) | (n = 873) |
| Very hard to pay for basics | 152 (10.6) | 90 (10.3) |
| Somewhat hard | 441 (30.7) | 266 (30.5) |
| Not at all hard | 843 (58.7) | 517 (59.2) |
| Education level, No. (%)c | (n = 1437) | (n = 875) |
| <College | 878 (61.1) | 527 (60.2) |
| ≥College | 559 (38.9) | 348 (39.8) |
| Smoking, No. (%)c | (n = 1440) | (n = 876) |
| Never | 770 (53.5) | 485 (55.4) |
| Past | 389 (27.0) | 232 (26.5) |
| Current | 281 (19.5) | 159 (18.2) |
| BMI, No. (%)b | (n = 1329) | (n = 809) |
| <25.0 | 452 (34.0) | 291 (36.0) |
| 25.0–29.9 | 358 (26.9) | 229 (28.3) |
| ≥30.0 | 519 (39.1) | 289 (35.7) |
| Alcohol servings per wk, No. (%)b | (n = 1347) | (n = 820) |
| None | 668 (49.6) | 417 (50.9) |
| <1 | 263 (19.5) | 165 (20.1) |
| 1–7 | 288 (21.4) | 167 (20.4) |
| >7 | 128 (9.5) | 71 (8.7) |
| Sports physical activity, mean (SD)c | 2.6 (1.0) | 2.6 (1.0) |
| Attitudes toward menopause, mean (SD) | 16.9 (2.8) | 17.1 (2.7) |
| Symptom sensitivity at first annual follow-up, mean (SD) | 10.4 (3.5) | 10.3 (3.4) |
| Anxiety score ≥4, No. (%)b | 488/1403 (34.8) | 260/857 (30.3) |
| Perceived stress, mean (SD)b | 8.3 (3.0) | 8.1 (2.9) |
| Depressive symptoms on the CES-D Scale ≥16, No. (%)b | 386/1383 (27.9) | 193/834 (23.1) |
| Social support, mean (SD)b | 12.5 (3.3) | 12.7 (3.2) |
| Age at FMP, mean (SD), y | – | 51.6 (2.7) |
| Age, mean (SD), yd | – | 53.1 (3.2) |
| VMS cessation observed, No. (%) | 505 (34.9) | 414 (47.0) |
Abbreviations: BMI, body mass index (calculated as weight in kilograms divided by height in meters squared); CES-D, Center for Epidemiologic Studies–Depression; FMP, final menstrual period; VMS, vasomotor symptoms.
a
Totals may not sum to the heading totals because of missing data on some variables.
b
At first VMS report.
c
At baseline.
d
At first post-FMP report of frequent VMS.