Menopausal transition of Korean immigrant women: a literature review

The menopausal transition needs to be understood in terms of the multiple mediating factors within the context in which women experience it. For immigrant women especially, the menopausal experience is complicated by multiple transitions and social marginality, so it cannot be adequately explained without considering this complexity. In this paper we review the literature on the menopausal transition of a group of vulnerable immigrant women in two ways: describing the transitions themselves (menopause, immigration, and housewife to employee), and describing factors that mediate the menopausal transition experience (family norms, meaning of menopause and women's work, and health practices). We emphasize the context and suggest areas of needed research.