TY - JOUR
T1 - Attitudes toward menopause and aging across ethnic/racial groups
AU - Sommer, Barbara
AU - Avis, Nancy
AU - Meyer, Peter
AU - Ory, Marcia
AU - Madden, Tom
AU - Kagawa-Singer, Marjorie
AU - Mouton, Charles
AU - O'Neill Rasor, Niki
AU - Adler, Shelley
PY - 1999
Y1 - 1999
N2 - Objective: Attitudes have a potential role to play in the experience of menopause. The objective of this study was to examine the degree to which attitudes toward menopause and aging vary across ethnic groups and menopausal status (ie, premenopausal through postmenopausal). Methods: More than 16,000 women were interviewed by telephone as part of the Study of Women's Health Across the Nation. They represented five ethnic/racial groups (African American, white, Chinese American, Japanese American, and Hispanic) from seven geographical sites (Boston, MA; Pittsburgh, PA; Chicago, IL; Michigan; New Jersey; and northern and southern California. Results: African American women were significantly more positive in attitude. The least positive groups were the less acculturated Chinese American and Japanese American women. Menopausal status was not a consistent predictor of attitude across ethnic groups. Conclusions: In general, women's attitudes toward menopause range from neutral to positive. Ethnic groups within the United States vary slightly, but reliably, in their attitudes toward menopause and aging. Factors other than those directly associated with menopausal status seem to play a role in attitude.
AB - Objective: Attitudes have a potential role to play in the experience of menopause. The objective of this study was to examine the degree to which attitudes toward menopause and aging vary across ethnic groups and menopausal status (ie, premenopausal through postmenopausal). Methods: More than 16,000 women were interviewed by telephone as part of the Study of Women's Health Across the Nation. They represented five ethnic/racial groups (African American, white, Chinese American, Japanese American, and Hispanic) from seven geographical sites (Boston, MA; Pittsburgh, PA; Chicago, IL; Michigan; New Jersey; and northern and southern California. Results: African American women were significantly more positive in attitude. The least positive groups were the less acculturated Chinese American and Japanese American women. Menopausal status was not a consistent predictor of attitude across ethnic groups. Conclusions: In general, women's attitudes toward menopause range from neutral to positive. Ethnic groups within the United States vary slightly, but reliably, in their attitudes toward menopause and aging. Factors other than those directly associated with menopausal status seem to play a role in attitude.
KW - Aging
KW - Attitudes
KW - Ethnicity
KW - Menopause
KW - Women
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U2 - 10.1097/00006842-199911000-00023
DO - 10.1097/00006842-199911000-00023
M3 - Article
C2 - 10593640
AN - SCOPUS:0032754517
SN - 0033-3174
VL - 61
SP - 868
EP - 875
JO - Psychosomatic Medicine
JF - Psychosomatic Medicine
IS - 6
ER -