Weight control behaviors associated with early menopause among Korean women

This study investigated weight control behaviors associated with early menopause among Korean women, utilizing cross-sectional Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES) data obtained from 2014 to 2018 to analyze 3,591 women aged 20–64 years with complete responses to questions dealing with natural menopause status and age. The data were analyzed using multivariate ordinal logistic regression. After adjusting for confounding variables affecting weight control behaviors and the timing of menopause, not having lost weight (odds ratio [OR] = 0.69, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.50–0.97, p = .033) and less use of reducing and controlling food for weight control (OR = 0.67, 95% CI = 0.55–0.81, p < .001) were shown to be associated with earlier menopause. In a further analysis, higher fat intake and lower monounsaturated fatty acid intake were associated with earlier menopause (OR = 1.06, 95% CI = 1.02–1.11, p = .007; OR = 0.94, 95% CI = 0.89–0.99, p = .014, respectively). This study findings are applicable in policies or interventions aiming to prevent cardiovascular risks among those with different timing of menopause and possibly delay early menopause.