Menarche, menopause and reproductive span in relation to frailty trajectories in Chinese women

OBJECTIVE: Frailty is a dynamic condition, but the influence of female reproductive factors on its long-term trajectories remains unclear. This study aimed to examine whether age at menarche (AAM), age at menopause (AMP) and reproductive span (RS) predict long-term frailty trajectories in middle-aged and older women. METHOD: Data were analyzed from four waves (2011-2018) of the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS). Frailty was measured using the frailty index (FI), and trajectories were identified via latent category growth modeling (LCGM). Logistic regression and restricted cubic spline analyses assessed the associations of reproductive factors with FI trajectories. RESULTS: = 814). Compared with women who had menopause at ages 46-54 years, those with AMP ≤45 years (odds ratio [OR] = 1.377, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.073-1.766) or AMP ≥55 years (OR = 1.558, 95% CI: 1.113-2.181) had higher odds of following the 'high-rising' frailty trajectory. Similarly, RS < 26 years (OR = 1.810, 95% CI: 1.277-2.566) or RS ≥40 years (OR = 1.734, 95% CI: 1.123-2.678) were associated with increased odds of the 'high-rising' trajectory. AAM was not significantly associated with frailty trajectories. CONCLUSIONS: Early or late menopause and extreme RS are associated with worsening frailty trajectories.