Academic Journal
Reproductive life course histories and menopausal outcomes at midlife: evidence from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health.
| Τίτλος: | Reproductive life course histories and menopausal outcomes at midlife: evidence from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health. |
|---|---|
| Συγγραφείς: | McCoy BM; Carolina Population Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States., Koning SM; Department of Health Behavior, Policy, and Administration Sciences, School of Public Health, University of Nevada, Reno, Reno, Nevada, United States., Harris KM; Carolina Population Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States.; Department of Sociology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States., Gaydosh L; Carolina Population Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States.; Department of Sociology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States. |
| Πηγή: | The journals of gerontology. Series B, Psychological sciences and social sciences [J Gerontol B Psychol Sci Soc Sci] 2026 Oct 07; Vol. 81 (11). |
| Τύπος έκδοσης: | Journal Article |
| Γλώσσα: | English |
| Στοιχεία περιοδικού: | Publisher: published on behalf of the Gerontological Society of America by Oxford University Press Country of Publication: United States NLM ID: 9508483 Publication Model: Print Cited Medium: Internet ISSN: 1758-5368 (Electronic) Linking ISSN: 10795014 NLM ISO Abbreviation: J Gerontol B Psychol Sci Soc Sci Subsets: MEDLINE |
| Imprint Name(s): | Publication: Washington, DC : published on behalf of the Gerontological Society of America by Oxford University Press Original Publication: Washington, DC : Gerontological Society of America, c1995- |
| Ιατρικοί όροι (MeSH): | Menopause*/physiology , Menopause*/psychology , Reproductive Health*/statistics & numerical data , Reproductive History*, United States/epidemiology ; Humans ; Female ; Longitudinal Studies ; Adult ; Adolescent ; Pregnancy ; Middle Aged ; Parity ; Young Adult |
| Περίληψη: | Objectives: Menopause is a heterogeneous transition that varies in timing and type, yet population-based research rarely considers how reproductive life course experiences shape menopausal outcomes. This study examines whether reproductive timing, reproductive history, and reproductive health across adolescence and adulthood are associated with menopausal status, early menopause, and surgical menopause at midlife. Methods: Using data from women in Waves I-VI of the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health (Add Health), we constructed reproductive life course histories including pubertal timing, pregnancy and parity, reproductive complications, and gynecologic conditions. Menopausal outcomes at Wave VI included menopausal status, early menopause (before age 40), and surgical menopause. Survey-weighted logistic regression models estimated associations between reproductive characteristics and menopausal outcomes, adjusting for socioeconomic context and cumulative reproductive stress. Stratified analyses by pregnancy history assessed whether associations with gynecologic pathology were independent of fertility history. Results: At Wave VI (mean age 44), 18% of women were postmenopausal. Among them, 69% reported surgical menopause and 60% experienced menopause before age 40, indicating a substantial prevalence of non-natural and early transitions. Pregnancy and parity were consistently associated with menopausal outcomes, whereas reproductive timing showed more limited associations. Gynecologic pathology was strongly associated with early and surgical menopause independent of pregnancy history. Discussion: Menopause emerges as a life course process shaped by reproductive histories and midlife reproductive health. The high prevalence of early and surgical menopause underscores the importance of examining heterogeneous pathways to menopausal timing and type in population-based research. (© The Author(s) 2026. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Gerontological Society of America. All rights reserved. For commercial re-use, please contact reprints@oup.com for reprints and translation rights for reprints. All other permissions can be obtained through our RightsLink service via the Permissions link on the article page on our site—for further information please contact journals.permissions@oup.com.) |
| Grant Information: | United States MD NIMHD NIH HHS; P2C HD050924 Center Grant to the Carolina Population Center; K00 AG088576 United States AG NIA NIH HHS |
| Contributed Indexing: | Keywords: Gynecologic health; Menopause; Reproductive health |
| Entry Date(s): | Date Created: 20260827 Date Completed: 20261009 Latest Revision: 20261011 |
| Update Code: | 20261011 |
| PubMed Central ID: | PMC13652015 |
| DOI: | 10.1093/geronb/gbag175 |
| PMID: | 42658009 |
| Βάση Δεδομένων: | MEDLINE |
| ISSN: | 1758-5368 |
|---|---|
| DOI: | 10.1093/geronb/gbag175 |