Highlights
- •The possible association between POI or early menopause and socioeconomic status remains relatively unexplored.
- •This study was performed using data from the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey.
- •Our analysis revealed an increased risk of POI and early menopause among women of lower socioeconomic status.
Abstract
Objective
We investigated whether, in the Korean population, the risk of premature ovarian insufficiency
(POI) and early menopause varies with a woman’s socioeconomic status, evaluated in
relation to income, education, and occupation.
Methods
This cross-sectional, population-based study involved 31,508 women aged >19 years
registered in the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES)
(2007–2016). Menopausal status and socioeconomic status were obtained from self-reported
KNHANES data. A logistic regression model was applied to test whether POI and early
menopause varied with socioeconomic status.
Results
The prevalence of POI was 2.41% and of early menopause was 5.89%. The annual incidence
of POI during the investigation period plateaued, while that of early menopause showed
a linear trend. The risk of POI was significantly higher among participants with lower
household incomes (odds ratio [OR], 95% confidence interval [CI]; 1.44, 1.16–1.78)
and lower levels of education (OR, 95% CI: 1.75, 1.16–2.65) after adjustment for age.
Conclusion
The prevalence of POI in the Korean population was almost twice that reported in a
previous study. Lower socioeconomic status was associated with an increased risk of
POI and early menopause. Further studies are warranted to investigate this association.
Keywords
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Article info
Publication history
Published online: December 05, 2018
Accepted:
December 4,
2018
Received in revised form:
November 26,
2018
Received:
October 15,
2018
Identification
Copyright
© 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
