Cover This study investigated the impact of ethnicity, annual income and age on menopausal symptoms among working Malaysian women aged 40–60 years (Photo: AI-generated)
This study investigated the impact of ethnicity, annual income and age on menopausal symptoms among working Malaysian women aged 40–60 years (Photo: AI-generated)
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Led by award-winning ob-gyn and menopause advocate Dr Premitha Damodaran, a new study investigates the impact of ethnicity, annual income and age on menopausal symptoms among working Malaysian women aged 40–60 years
A new study led by Tatler Asia’s Most Influential 2023 honouree Dr Premitha Damodaran sheds revealing light on how Malaysian women across ethnicities experience menopause—and the findings are far from uniform.
Based on 1,825 responses from working women aged 40 to 60, the research—titled ‘Menopausal symptoms among multi-ethnic working women in Malaysia’ and recently published in menopause, climacteric and mid-life health journal Climacteric—highlights how symptoms vary dramatically depending on age, income level and ethnicity (Malay, Chinese, Indian and mixed ethnicity).
The five most common symptoms? Joint pain (34.6 per cent), sleep disturbances (31.1 per cent), brain fog (26.2 per cent), mood swings (25.8 per cent) and digestive issues (25.5 per cent).
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Above Dr Premitha Damodaran is a consultant gynaecologist at Pantai Hospital Kuala Lumpur (Photo: Natalina Zainal/Tatler Malaysia)
Dr Premitha Damodaran is a consultant gynaecologist at Pantai Hospital Kuala Lumpur (Photo: Natalina Zainal/Tatler Malaysia)
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But dig deeper, and disparities emerge. Indian women reported the highest prevalence of symptoms, with a 2.9-times greater likelihood of experiencing four or more menopausal symptoms compared to Chinese women.
Contrary to expectation, women in higher income brackets reported more symptoms than those earning less—suggesting that lifestyle, stress levels or even greater health literacy may be at play.
See also: Why should I talk to my boss about my menopause symptoms—and how?
Symptom patterns also fluctuated with age: joint pain and vaginal dryness increased steadily and peaked in the 55–60 bracket. Mood swings were most intense between 45–49, while hot flushes and sleep disturbances hit hardest at 50–54.
This study underscores the urgent need for Malaysia to rethink menopause care. Cultural nuance, income-related stress, and age-specific symptom management must be factored into workplace policies and healthcare plans.
For Malaysian women to thrive through midlife and beyond, menopause must no longer be a silent struggle—but a supported transition.
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Previously contributing to Esquire Malaysia, Expat Lifestyle and Newsweek, Tania oversees digital stories across Tatler’s key content pillars, also leading the Front & Female platform exploring issues and topics affecting women today.
