Factors Affecting Age of Onset of Menopause at Child Birth, Birth Control of Nigerian Women

Abstract

Introduction: Menopause simply refers to the time when a woman stops having monthly period. There have been numerous systematic studies into the age at onset of menopause and the factors affecting it, in different parts of the world. However, the establishment of this age and factors affecting it in Rivers state has been scanty. Aim: This research was therefore undertaken to ascertain the age at onset of menopause in women of Rivers state, residing in Port Harcourt and the effect of parity, age at last child birth and form of birth control on it. Methodology: This study used data from over 380 postmenopausal women from populations in Port Harcourt, Rivers state. Different ages specified by the respondents through structural questionnaires were used. The data was collected and analyzed using the ANOVA method. It was used to obtain a percentage frequency which was presented in a table. Results: The result shows the mean menopausal age among Rivers state women to be 49.1 years. It was also found that menopausal age was affected by subjects’ parity, age at last child birth and form of birth control. Conclusion: The mean menopausal age of women of Rivers State, living in Port Harcourt has been found to be 49.1 years. This age has also been found to be positively affected by a woman’s parity, age at last child birth and form of birth control.