Publication Date
2001
Journal or Book Title
American Journal of Human Biology
Abstract
Married women generally report a later mean age at menopause. The results reported here, from a study carried out in Greene County, New York, are no exception. Married and widowed women report a later mean age at natural menopause compared to single and divorced women (P < 0.05). To better understand the relationship between marital status and age at menopause, possible mechanistic and confounding variables are examined, in particular parity, sexual activity, smoking habits, level of education, and income. Parity and income 10 years prior to interview are significant factors, along with marital status, that explain part of the variation in age at natural menopause. An alternative explanation is the pheromonal influence of a male in the household. This would explain the consistency of results across populations. This pilot study supports further biochemical investigation.
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1002/ajhb.1079
Pages
479-485
Volume
13
Issue
4
Recommended Citation
Sievert, Lynnette Leidy; Waddle, Diane; and Canali, Kristophor, "Marital status and age at natural menopause: Considering pheromonal influence" (2001). American Journal of Human Biology. 123.
https://doi.org/10.1002/ajhb.1079
https://scholarworks.umass.edu/anthro_faculty_pubs/123