Analysing the Benefit and Effect of Physical Activity During Menopause
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.35469/ak.2025.521Keywords:
women, menopause, menopausal symptoms, physical activity, MENQOL, SF-36Abstract
Purpose: The increasing prevalence of menopause-related discomforts, coupled with the potential for non-pharmacological interventions, underscores the need to explore lifestyle modifications such as physical activity (PA). This study aimed to evaluate the effects of pre-existing PA on the quality of life (QoL) in menopausal women.
Method: Conducted between September 2022 and January 2023, the cross-sectional study utilized IBM SPSS Statistics (version 23) and included 138 women. Standardized QoL questionnaires (MENQOL and SF-36) and the Global Physical Activity Questionnaire (GPAQ) to assess their PA levels and QoL outcomes.
Result: Among participants, 64% engaged in moderate-intensity PA, averaging 90 minutes per week in recreational activities, while spending 75 minutes per day sedentary. A significant inverse relationship was observed between total PA and menopause-related symptoms, with strong negative correlations in the Psychosocial (r = -0.398, p < 0.001) and Vasomotor (r = -0.284, p < 0.001) domains of MENQOL. Women who met the 150 minutes/week recommendation for moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) reported significantly better psychological QoL (p = 0.025) as measured by SF-36. Furthermore, positive associations were noted between work-related PA and general health outcomes, suggesting that PA benefits extend across various health dimensions.
Conclusions: These findings highlight the role of PA in improving menopausal QoL and emphasize the importance of incorporating personalized PA recommendations into menopausal care. Further research using objective PA measurements and a larger, more diverse cohort is recommended to confirm these results and provide deeper insights.
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Copyright (c) 2025 Deborah Oluwayemisi David, Marta Hock, Alexandra Makai
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