The Tribune

By CARA HUNT

Tribune Features Writer

cbrennen@tribunemedia.net

A NEW study of menopause experiences in The Bahamas found that 91 per cent of the 115 women surveyed reported at least five symptoms, with 61 per cent experiencing ten or more.

The study was conducted by Patrice Lockhart, a menopause health and wellness coach, educator and founder of Menopause Survival Care.

Ms Lockhart surveyed 115 women living in The Bahamas to gain locally generated insight into the range and frequency of menopause-related symptoms reported by Bahamian women.

Her report was titled “Menopause in The Bahamas: A Foundational Analysis of Menopause Experiences Among 115 Women Living in The Bahamas”.

The analysis examined 21 menopause-related symptoms documented among women represented in a practice-based dataset. The women ranged in age from 37 to 71, with an average age of approximately 54 years.

The findings demonstrate that menopause was rarely experienced as a single symptom. Instead, the women reported experiencing a collection of symptoms.

The most frequently reported symptoms were hot flashes and night sweats (71.3 per cent), mood swings and irritability (70.4 per cent), fatigue (68.7 per cent), brain fog and memory lapses (62.6 per cent), weight gain (60.9 per cent), sleep disturbances (57.4 per cent), joint pain (56.5 per cent) and anxiety (51.3 per cent).

The findings also show that menopause-related experiences extend across emotional, cognitive, sleep, musculoskeletal, sexual and genitourinary dimensions.

Ms Lockhart noted that the report is not intended to provide national prevalence estimates and does not claim that the 115 participants represent all Bahamian women.

Instead, she said it is a practice-based, observational analysis intended to provide a foundation for further research.

“This analysis gives us an opportunity to begin looking at menopause through a Bahamian lens,” she said. “Women are experiencing much more than hot flashes. Their experiences can involve sleep, energy, mood, cognition, physical comfort, sexual health and urinary health. We need more Caribbean evidence so that our education, healthcare systems, workplaces and policies can respond to the realities women are experiencing.”

Ms Lockhart hopes the work will encourage collaboration among Bahamian and Caribbean researchers, universities, healthcare organisations, policymakers and women's health professionals.

Future research priorities identified by the analysis include larger multi-island studies, standardised symptom measurement, menopause and workplace experiences, quality of life, access to care, psychosocial factors and culturally relevant menopause interventions.