Background: Although many health disparities arise as a result of socioeconomic
inequalities, less is known about the diet quality of women after
menopause. The present study aimed to determine the factors affecting food
habits and body mass index (BMI) among premenopausal and post-menopausal
Mauritian working women.
Methods: The study was conducted as a cross-sectional survey in different
workplaces located in the nine districts of Mauritius. Mauritian women
(n = 400; 215 premenopausal, 185 post-menopausal) were recruited using
stratified random sampling. Participants completed a self-reported questionnaire
comprising a food frequency questionnaire previously constructed and
used to address dietary guidelines that assess the intake of vegetables, fruits,
dairy products, cereals, high- and low-fat protein sources, fats and sweetened
beverages, as well as questions aiming to elicit socioeconomic profile,
menopausal status, physical activity level and demographic data. Height,
weight, waist and hip circumferences were measured. An independent sample
t-test, chi-squared test and one-way analysis of variance were used for
the statistical analyses.
Results: The mean dietary guideline score was significantly higher for postmenopausal
than premenopausal women, (P = 0.017). Each socioeconomic
status (SES) category of post-menopausal women also demonstrated a
higher dietary guideline score than that of premenopausal women
(P > 0.05). A high BMI was significantly associated with a low SES of
participants (P = 0.042) and post-menopausal stage (P = 0.001).
Conclusions: Low SES and post-menopausal stage are risk factors for obesity
among female workers in Mauritius. Although post-menopausal women
ate a better diet, their mean BMI was higher than that of premenopausal
women.