Science and Culture · Aug 12, 2026

MENOPAUSAL STATUS, KNOWLEDGE AND PRACTICES IN A REMOTE REGION OF KORAPUT DISTRICT, ODISHA

By BARAL S, Bindhani BK

The present cross-sectional study aims to assess the status of menopause, as well as the awareness and practices related to menopause, among women in Koraput district of Odisha.A total of 50 women, aged 40-75 years, were selected randomly.Sociodemographic and menopause-related information was collected using schedules.Data regarding knowledge and practices were collected using self-modified questionnaires.The study found the mean age of menopause to be 47.63 (±5.25) years ranging from 40 to 55 years.The average knowledge score was 2.06 out of 9, and the mean practice score was 2.92 out of 9, reflecting a poor knowledge and practice score, signifying a low awareness and understanding of menopause.In addition, the study emphasized a high level of non-literacy (94%) rate, and child marriage (65.96%), focusing on a common problem in this area.The fertility rate in this area was 3.7, which is relatively higher compared to the total fertility rate (TFR) of India in 2025 i.e. 2.1 births per woman, so it positively impacts menopause.This finding showed that hard physical activities lead to a good fertility rate and menopausal status involving regular menstrual cycles before menopause.The study also highlights that there are no significant differences among tobacco and alcohol consumption (p-value i.e., 0.485846) with menopausal age.This is happening because, in the population, people consume alcohol as part of their food and are involved in hard physical activity daily.The findings suggest the need for better community-specific education and awareness programs regarding menopause in the studied area.

doi.org/10.36094/sc.v92.2026.menopausal_status_knowledge_and_practices.baral_bindhani.523Open accessPopulations