Predictors of the relationship between social determinants of health and natural menopausal age: a path analysis

This cross-sectional study aimed to construct a hypothetical path analysis model explaining factors affecting natural menopausal age in women and test the hypothesized model fit using the collected data. The participants were 550 women in the postmenopausal state in Tehran, Iran (2024). Data were collected using self-reported questionnaires from April 18 to August 15, 2024, and analyzed using SPSS-21 and AMOS 24 to examine the direct and indirect relationships among the study variables. The overall fitness indices of the hypothetical model were good (Chi-Square = 1.5, Goodness-of-Fit Index [GFI] = 1.00, Root Mean Square Error of Approximation [RMSEA] = 0.03, Normed Fit Index [NFI] = 0.97, Tucker–Lewis Index [TLI] = 0.93, Comparative Fit Index [CFI] = 0.99, and Incremental Fit Index [IFI] = 0.99). Out of 4 paths, 3 were statistically significant. Menopausal age was directly affected by domestic violence and unhealthy behaviors and it was also indirectly affected by socioeconomic status. These findings highlight the importance of addressing social determinants of health, particularly unhealthy behaviors, socioeconomic disadvantage, and domestic violence, in public health strategies aimed at promoting healthy reproductive aging and reducing health inequalities among women.