Age at natural menopause in Beirut, Lebanon: the role of reproductive and lifestyle factors

Primary objective: To determine the median age of natural menopause and fac tors associated with the timing of menopause in Beirut, Lebanon. Research design: A population-based sample of 298 women were interviewed us ing a semistructured questionnaire. Methods and procedures: Logit analysis and logistic regression were used to estimate the median age and identify correlates of menopausal status. Main outcomes and results: The median age of natural menopause in Beirut, L ebanon is estimated to be 49.3 years. Not being currently married (odds rat io (OR) = 4.19, 95% CI: 1.53, 11.51) and smoking (OR = 1.02 for each year o f smoking, 95% CI: 1.00, 1.05) are significantly associated with an earlier age at menopause. Women with menstrual bleeding longer than 5 days have la ter ages at menopause (OR = 0.50, 95% CI: 0.26, 0.97). Age at menarche, par ity, education and socio-economic status are not statistically associated w ith the age at menopause. Conclusions: The age at natural menopause in Lebanon is comparable to media n ages reported for women in industrialized countries (49.3-51.4). Our resu lts emphasize the role of smoking in determining an earlier age at menopaus e and indicate that reproductive characteristics affect the timing of menop ause.