Rethinking menopause measurement: untangling the complexities in the Demographic Health Survey data

The Demographic Health Survey (DHS) data currently misclassifies women post-hysterectomy without bilateral oophorectomy, creating a bias that affects research findings, particularly when studying premature menopause. This commentary critiques this methodological flaw, which obscures crucial differen...

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Main Author: Karan Babbar
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Nature Portfolio 2025-07-01
Series:npj Women's Health
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1038/s44294-025-00091-x
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author Karan Babbar
author_facet Karan Babbar
author_sort Karan Babbar
collection DOAJ
description The Demographic Health Survey (DHS) data currently misclassifies women post-hysterectomy without bilateral oophorectomy, creating a bias that affects research findings, particularly when studying premature menopause. This commentary critiques this methodological flaw, which obscures crucial differences between natural and surgical menopause, ultimately skewing prevalence estimates, risk estimates, and our understanding of health consequences. I argue that including a specific question about oophorectomy status in DHS questionanires is essential for generating accurate data that can inform effective public health policy and interventions globally.
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issn 2948-1716
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spelling doaj-art-e8ea4eba1ac64d7fae38fbe528befff82025-08-20T03:46:15ZengNature Portfolionpj Women's Health2948-17162025-07-01311310.1038/s44294-025-00091-xRethinking menopause measurement: untangling the complexities in the Demographic Health Survey dataKaran Babbar0Plaksha UniversityThe Demographic Health Survey (DHS) data currently misclassifies women post-hysterectomy without bilateral oophorectomy, creating a bias that affects research findings, particularly when studying premature menopause. This commentary critiques this methodological flaw, which obscures crucial differences between natural and surgical menopause, ultimately skewing prevalence estimates, risk estimates, and our understanding of health consequences. I argue that including a specific question about oophorectomy status in DHS questionanires is essential for generating accurate data that can inform effective public health policy and interventions globally.https://doi.org/10.1038/s44294-025-00091-x
spellingShingle Karan Babbar
Rethinking menopause measurement: untangling the complexities in the Demographic Health Survey data
npj Women's Health
title Rethinking menopause measurement: untangling the complexities in the Demographic Health Survey data
title_full Rethinking menopause measurement: untangling the complexities in the Demographic Health Survey data
title_fullStr Rethinking menopause measurement: untangling the complexities in the Demographic Health Survey data
title_full_unstemmed Rethinking menopause measurement: untangling the complexities in the Demographic Health Survey data
title_short Rethinking menopause measurement: untangling the complexities in the Demographic Health Survey data
title_sort rethinking menopause measurement untangling the complexities in the demographic health survey data
url https://doi.org/10.1038/s44294-025-00091-x
work_keys_str_mv AT karanbabbar rethinkingmenopausemeasurementuntanglingthecomplexitiesinthedemographichealthsurveydata