Influence of habitual physical activity on the symptoms of climacterium/menopause and the quality of life of middle-aged women

Figures & data

Figure 1 Flow of participants through study.

Table 1 Characteristics of the study participants (n = 104)

	Mean ± SD	Range
Chronological age (years)	50.0 ± 4.1	45–59
Age at menarche (years)	12.9 ± 1.5	10–17
Age at menopause (years)	48.8 ± 2.8	43–55
Body mass index (kg/m^2)	21.0 ± 3.6	16–34
Education (years)	11.0 ± 2.8	1–13
Illnesses (n)	1.0 ± 0.9	0–3
Physical activity
Walking (minutes/day)	23.4 ± 21.2	0–80
Moderate PA (minutes/day)	14.7 ± 18.8	0–80
Vigorous PA (minutes/day)	9.3 ± 12.9	0–60
Moderate + vigorous PA (minutes/day)	24.0 ± 28.9	0–110
Total PA (minutes/day)	52.2 ± 48.1	0–200
Quality of life
Physical domain (%)	57.3 ± 11.8	21–78
Psychological domain (%)	60.3 ± 12.5	29–87
Social domain (%)	65.0 ± 23.2	0–100

Abbreviations: PA, physical activity; SD, standard deviation.

Table 2 Characteristics of the sample according to the symptoms of menopause (n = 104)

	Mean ± SD	Range
Hot flashes	1.4 ± 1.0	0–3
Palpitations	1.4 ± 0.9	0–3
Sleeping trouble	1.3 ± 0.9	0–3
Muscle/joint pain	1.4 ± 0.8	0–3
Fatigue	1.4 ± 1.0	0–3
Headache	1.5 ± 0.9	0–3
Irritability	1.5 ± 0.9	0–3
Vertigo	1.4 ± 0.9	0–3
Anxiety	1.4 ± 1.0	0–3
Sadness	1.6 ± 0.9	0–3
Memory problem	1.3 ± 0.9	0–3
Decreasing sex	1.4 ± 1.0	0–3
Leaking urine	1.6 ± 1.0	0–3
Vaginal dryness	1.6 ± 0.9	0–3
Weight gain	1.5 ± 0.9	0–3
Skin alteration	1.8 ± 1.0	0–3
Humming in the ear	1.5 ± 0.9	0–3
Prevalence of menopausal symptoms		0.001
Absence (%)	10.6
Light (%)	33.7
Moderate (%)	41.3
Intense (%)	14.4

Abbreviation: SD, standard deviation.

Table 3 Comparison of quality of life scores among middle-aged women who maintained their total habitual physical activity less than 30 minutes/day (group A), continued or began to engage in physical activity 30–60 minutes/day (group B), or continued or began to engage in physical activity for more than 60 minutes/day (group C), as assessed retrospectively after 12 weeks

	A (n = 42) <30 minutes/day mean ± SD			B (n = 16) 30–60 minutes/day mean ± SD			C (n = 46) >60 minutes/day mean ± SD			A vs B vs C
	Initial	Final	P	Initial	Final	P	Initial	Final	P	P	Post hoc
Physical (%)	51 ± 14	52 ± 13	0.289	54 ± 15	54 ± 11	0.944	63 ± 12	63 ± 7	1.000	0.001	C > A
Psychological (%)	53 ± 10	51 ± 12	0.031	58 ± 9	59 ± 10	0.715	65 ± 12	69 ± 8	0.001	0.001	C > A, B
Social (%)	54 ± 25	51 ± 21	0.001	67 ± 21	62 ± 19	0.056	77 ± 21	79 ± 17	0.017	0.001	C > A, B

Notes: Intragroup comparison between initial and final values through a paired t-test (groups A and C) and Wilcoxon signed-rank test (group B). Comparison of final values among all three groups (A vs B vs C) through analysis of covariance adjusted for the initial values of the corresponding variable.

Abbreviation: SD, standard deviation.

Table 4 Comparison of menopause symptoms among middle-aged women who maintained their total habitual physical activity less than 30 minutes/day (group A), continued or began to engage in physical activity 30–60 minutes/day (group B), or continued or began to engage in physical activity for more than 60 minutes/day (group C), as assessed retrospectively after 12 weeks

	A (n = 42) <30 minutes/day mean ± SD			B (n = 16) 30–60 minutes/day mean ± SD			C (n = 46) >60 minutes/day mean ± SD			A vs B vs C
	Initial	Final	P	Initial	Final	P	Initial	Final	P	P	Post hoc
Hot flashes	2.0 ± 0.7	2.2 ± 0.5	0.050	1.8 ± 0.9	1.7 ± 1.0	0.655	1.0 ± 0.8	0.5 ± 0.5	0.001	0.001	C < A, B
Palpitations	2.0 ± 0.7	2.0 ± 0.7	1.000	1.7 ± 0.9	1.7 ± 0.9	1.000	0.8 ± 0.8	0.8 ± 0.8	1.000	1.000	–
Sleeping trouble	2.0 ± 0.6	2.1 ± 0.6	0.256	1.9 ± 0.6	1.9 ± 0.6	1.000	0.9 ± 0.9	0.5 ± 0.6	0.001	0.001	C < A, B
Muscle/joint pain	2.0 ± 0.6	2.1 ± 0.6	0.160	1.6 ± 0.7	1.5 ± 0.6	0.180	1.2 ± 0.9	0.8 ± 0.6	0.006	0.001	C < A, B
Fatigue	1.8 ± 0.7	2.1 ± 0.7	0.020	1.9 ± 09	1.8 ± 0.9	0.331	0.9 ± 0.7	0.5 ± 0.6	0.001	0.001	C < A, B
Headache	2.0 ± 0.7	2.1 ± 0.7	0.096	1.7 ± 0.9	1.6 ± 0.9	0.331	1.0 ± 0.8	0.7 ± 0.6	0.003	0.001	C < A, B
Irritability	1.8 ± 0.7	2.0 ± 0.6	0.044	1.8 ± 0.8	1.9 ± 0.8	0.655	1.2 ± 1.0	0.8 ± 0.7	0.001	0.001	C < A, B
Vertigo	1.9 ± 0.6	2.0 ± 0.7	0.290	1.7 ± 0.9	1.8 ± 0.9	0.564	0.8 ± 0.7	0.7 ± 0.6	0.096	0.001	C < A, B
Anxiety	2.0 ± 0.7	2.1 ± 0.6	0.058	2.0 ± 0.8	1.6 ± 0.9	0.025	1.0 ± 0.7	0.6 ± 0.7	0.001	0.001	C < A, B
Sadness	1.8 ± 0.7	2.2 ± 0.7	0.068	2.1 ± 0.6	2.0 ± 0.7	1.000	1.8 ± 1.3	0.7 ± 0.6	0.001	0.001	C < A, B
Memory problem	2.1 ± 0.7	2.1 ± 0.7	1.000	2.0 ± 0.6	1.9 ± 0.7	0.317	0.9 ± 0.7	0.7 ± 0.5	0.002	0.001	C < A, B
Decreasing sex	2.1 ± 0.7	2.1 ± 0.7	1000	2.2 ± 0.8	2.0 ± 0.8	0.160	0.9 ± 0.7	0.6 ± 0.6	0.001	0.001	C < A, B
Leaking urine	1.6 ± 0.7	2.2 ± 0.7	0.006	2.0 ± 0.8	2.2 ± 0.9	0.102	0.8 ± 0.7	0.8 ± 0.7	1.000	0.001	C < A, B
Vaginal dryness	2.0 ± 0.7	2.1 ± 0.7	0.323	1.8 ± 0.9	1.8 ± 0.9	1.000	0.9 ± 0.6	1.0 ± 0.6	0.420	0.055	–
Weight gain	2.1 ± 0.7	2.1 ± 0.7	1.000	2.1 ± 0.8	2.0 ± 0.8	0.157	1.0 ± 0.8	0.7 ± 0.6	0.001	0.001	C < A, B
Skin alteration	2.1 ± 0.7	2.4 ± 0.6	0.049	2.0 ± 0.9	2.0 ± 0.9	1.000	1.1 ± 0.8	1.0 ± 0.8	0.323	0.001	C < A, B
Humming in the ear	2.3 ± 0.6	2.3 ± 0.6	1.000	1.9 ± 0.8	1.8 ± 0.8	0.157	0.8 ± 0.6	0.6 ± 0.5	0.018	0.001	C < A, B
Total score of symptoms	31 ± 7.4	33 ± 6.2	0.003	28 ± 9.1	27 ± 2.6	0.805	16 ± 10	10 ± 6.6	0.001	0.001	C < A, B

Notes: Intragroup comparison between initial and final values through a paired t-test (groups A and C) and Wilcoxon signed-rank test (group B). Comparison of final values among all three groups through analysis of covariance adjusted for the initial values of the corresponding variable.

Abbreviation: SD, standard deviation.

Figure 2 Average variation in quality of life and symptoms of menopause according to the habitual practice of total physical activity (<30 minutes/day; between 30 and 60 minutes/day; >60 minutes/day) over 12 weeks. Dose-response relationship between the amount of physical activity and variations in the quality of life in the physical, psychological, and social domains and the variation in the symptoms of menopause evaluated by analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) adjusted for age, baseline body mass index, years of schooling, hormonal replacement therapy, and number of diseases, with 95% confidence intervals (physical domain P = 0.062; psychological domain P = 0.001; social domain P = 0.035; and total score of symptoms P = 0.001). Significant differences in ANCOVA tested through simple contrast.

Note: *Significant differences (P < 0.05) between the group that maintained or increased total physical activity to more than 60 minutes/day and the other two physical activity groups.
Abbreviation: min/d, minutes per day.

Figure 3 Average variation in the quality of life according to habitual practice of total physical activity (<30 minutes/day; between 30 and 60 minutes/day; >60 minutes/day) over 12 weeks, analyzed separately for two groups of participants: (A) those who had a decrease in menopause symptoms and (B) those whose symptoms remained constant or increased. Dose-response relationship between the amount of physical activity and variations in the quality of life in the physical, psychological, and social domains and the variation in the symptoms of menopause evaluated by analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) adjusted for age, baseline body mass index, years of schooling, hormonal replacement therapy, and number of diseases, with 95% confidence intervals. Among the women with decreased symptoms: physical domain P = 0.623; psychological domain P = 0.001; and social domain P = 0.073. Among the women without decreased symptoms: physical domain P = 0.545; psychological domain P = 0.761; and social domain P = 0.584. Significant differences in ANCOVA tested through simple contrast.

Note: *Significant differences (P < 0.05) between the group that maintained or increased total physical activity to more than 60 minutes/day and the other two physical activity groups.
Abbreviation: min/d, minutes per day.

Figure 4 Average variation in quality of life according to habitual practice of total physical activity (<30 minutes/day; between 30 and 60 minutes/day; >60 minutes/day) over 12 weeks, analyzed separately for two groups of participants: (A) those who lost weight and (B) those who maintained or gained weight. Dose-response relationships between the amount of physical activity and variations in the quality of life in the physical, psychological, and social domains and variations in the symptoms of menopause evaluated by analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) adjusted for age, baseline body mass index, years of schooling, hormonal replacement therapy, and number of diseases, with 95% confidence intervals. Among those who lost weight: physical domain P = 0.698 and psychological domain P = 0.009; (B) <30 minutes/day = −3 ± 1; 30–60 minutes/day = 0.7 ± 2; >60 minutes/day = 0.1 ± 2; P = 0.082; social domain P = 0.051. Among those who did not lose weight: physical domain P = 0.960; psychological domain P = 0.082; and social domain P = 0.212. Significant differences in ANCOVA tested through simple contrast.

Note: *Significant differences (P < 0.05) between the group that maintained or increased their total physical activity to more than 60 minutes/day and the other two physical activity groups.
Abbreviation: min/d, minutes per day.