Evaluating menopausal symptom burden and treatment engagement in a predominantly Hispanic population on the United States‐Mexico border
Amber McFerren, Kelcy Steffen-Gutierrez, Sarah Johnson, Alok Dwivedi, Katelyn Welshans, Sireesha Y. ReddyObjective:
To evaluate menopausal symptom burden, health care engagement, and treatment disparities among postmenopausal women at the United States‐Mexico border.
Methods:
A cross-sectional bilingual survey was administered to postmenopausal women receiving care from 2021 to 2024 at a tertiary care center. Menopausal symptoms, treatment use, and health care clinician engagement were assessed. Associations were evaluated using multivariable logistic or Poisson regression.
Results:
Among 340 postmenopausal participants (mean age: 55.8 ± 7.0 y), the most frequently reported symptoms were sleep disturbances (73%; 95% CI: 68%-77%) and weight gain (68%; 95% CI: 63%-73%). Despite this high symptom burden, 58% (95% CI: 52%-63%) reported that their symptoms had never been addressed by a clinician. Younger participants (<55 y) had higher odds of vasomotor, sleep, and mood symptoms (all
Conclusions:
Menopausal symptoms were common in this border-region cohort, yet clinician engagement and treatment use were low. Socioeconomic and ethnic disparities in treatment highlight the need for culturally and linguistically tailored menopause care.