The Relationship Among Obesity, Menopausal Status, and Health Behavior Among Middle-Aged Women in a Rural Community of Southern Taiwan

Abstract

In this study we explored the relationship among obesity, menopausal status, and health behavior among middle-aged women in a rural community of southern Taiwan. This was a cross-sectional study using a face-to-face interview to collect data. Sixty middle-aged women from four community centers participated in this study. The results indicated that approximately 23.3% of the women had body mass index (BMI) ≥27 kg/m², and 38.3% of the women's waist girths were above 80 cm. Both BMI and waist circumference (WC) of the middle-aged women were significantly different between reproductive and postmenopausal status. The variable of nutrition-related health behavior was significantly and negatively associated with the BMI levels and accounted for 12% of the total variance. An understanding of the factors that contribute to obesity is provided among middle-aged women in Taiwan's rural communities.

The research team gives special thanks to the community activity centers for providing the venue. Thanks also to the community women who participated in the study.