Awareness of Menopause and Health Risks Among Reproductive-Age Women in Latvia

Background/Objectives: The menopausal transition is a period of increasing cardiometabolic risk and a window for prevention, yet preparation is often delayed until symptoms appear. Latvia has a high cardiovascular mortality burden, but population-specific menopause-awareness data are limited. This study aimed to describe item-level awareness among women aged 18–49 years in Latvia, compare age groups, and explore associated factors. Methods: An exploratory, anonymous, cross-sectional online convenience survey included 431 women aged 18–49 years in Latvia recruited through paid social media posts. An investigator-designed 47-item Latvian questionnaire was used. Primary outcomes were item-level responses to menopause-awareness Likert statements, summarized using medians, interquartile ranges, and dichotomized evidence-aligned proportions. A study-specific 10-item composite awareness score was constructed post hoc as a secondary hypothesis-generating measure. Analyses used chi-square tests, nonparametric tests, and exploratory multivariable linear regression. Results: Recognition of hot flushes (93.0%), that symptoms may appear before age 50 (91.6%), and vaginal dryness (79.8%) was high, whereas awareness that menopause may increase cardiovascular risk was limited (50.3%). Nine out of ten items showed no significant age-group difference; one reverse-keyed memory item showed a small nominal association. Composite awareness scores did not differ by age group, education level, or gynaecologist visit frequency. Internal consistency was modest (Cronbach’s α = 0.688), and the regression model explained limited variance (R2 = 0.083; adjusted R2 = 0.052). Previous information-seeking (B = 1.85, 95% CI 0.79–2.95, p < 0.001) and underweight BMI (B = −5.91, 95% CI −8.96 to −2.85, p < 0.001; n = 12) were independently associated with the composite awareness score. Overall, 72.6% considered educating younger women important. Conclusions: In this exploratory convenience sample, strong symptom recognition coexisted with limited cardiovascular-risk awareness, supporting earlier menopause education in Latvia that integrates cardiometabolic prevention.