Are Alcohol Consumption and Smoking Associated with the Risk of Early Menopause? Evidence from the NFHS-5 (2019-20) Survey in India

Enu Anand, Self employed

Early natural menopause, defined as the onset of menopause before age 45 without medical intervention, affects about 11% of women in India. This study investigates alcohol consumption and smoking as potential risk factors for early menopause using data from the National Family Health Survey (NFHS-5) 2019-2020, which includes 301,252 women aged 30-45. Early menopause is defined as the absence of menstruation for six months among married women, excluding pregnant and postpartum women. Bivariate and multivariate analyses were conducted to examine the relationship between early menopause and various socioeconomic, demographic, and health factors. Logistic regression and Cox proportional hazards models were applied to estimate menopause risk. Results show that states like Bihar (18.13%), Telangana (18.2%), and Andhra Pradesh (17.7%) report the highest early menopause prevalence, while northern states like Punjab (7.8%) and Northeastern states like Mizoram (4.71%) report lower rates. Alcohol consumption (15.08%) and smoking (17.52%) were strongly associated with early menopause, compared to non-drinkers (10.6%) and non-smokers (10.63%). Other significant factors include underweight status (12.38%), anaemia (12.94%), poverty (12.19%), lack of education (16.47%), and rural residence (12.03%). In contrast, wealthier (6.88%) and more educated women (3.23%) reported lower rates. These findings highlight the role of lifestyle and socioeconomic factors in early menopause.

Keywords: Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights, Health and Morbidity, Fertility, Population Policies

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