Quality of life and psychosocial health in postmenopausal women achieving public health guidelines for physical activity

Body composition, physical activity, and menopause symptoms: how do they relate?

OBJECTIVE

This study characterized the impact of physical activity (light, moderate, and vigorous [VIG] active minutes per day) and body composition (percent body fat [%BF] and fat-free mass index) on total menopausal symptoms (TMSs) in 72 premenopausal, perimenopausal (PERI), or postmenopausal women.

METHODS

Activity minutes were collected from wearable fitness trackers. Body composition was evaluated using a whole-body dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry scan. TMSs were quantified using The North American Menopause Society Questionnaire.

RESULTS

Significant associations were observed between TMSs and %BF ( r = 0.464, P < 0.001) and VIG ( r = -0.245, P = 0.038). %BF and VIG were significant predictors for TMSs across groups ( R2 = 0.146 and R2 = 0.092, respectively), but only %BF maintained for PERI ( R2 = 0.421, P < 0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

%BF predicted nearly half of the variance in PERI TMSs, whereas VIG predicted 9% of the sample variance, demonstrating an important influence of body fat accumulation and intense physical activity in the menopause transition. High-intensity exercise interventions to alleviate body composition changes may also reduce menopausal-related symptoms for PERI women.

The Relation Between Osteoporosis and Bone Fractures and Health-Related Quality of Life in Post-menopausal Saudi Women in the Jazan Region: A Cross-Sectional Study

INTRODUCTION

Osteoporosis is a significant health concern, often leading to fragility fractures and severely impacting the quality of life in post-menopausal women. Studies evaluating the effects of osteoporosis and resultant fractures on health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in Saudi women are lacking. This study aimed to assess the relationship between osteoporosis and fracture and physical, psychological, social, and environmental HRQoL domains in post-menopausal Saudi women.

METHODS

In this cross-sectional study conducted in Jazan, Saudi Arabia, 158 post-menopausal Saudi women completed HRQoL surveys using the validated Arabic WHOQOL-BREF questionnaire. Data on socioeconomics, comorbidities, and fracture history were gathered. Descriptive statistics delineated sample characteristics. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) and post-hoc tests identified differences in HRQoL across socioeconomic and clinical categories. Multivariate regression analyses determined factors independently related to HRQoL.

RESULTS

Of 158 women surveyed, 39% had a history of osteoporotic fracture. Foot (35%), hand (31%), and vertebral (10%) fractures were the most frequent. Women over 70 had significantly lower physical HRQoL than those aged 45-55 (p<0.001). Unemployed and lower-income women showed poorer HRQoL across domains (p<0.01). Vertebral and hand fractures were negatively related to physical and psychological health (p<0.05). Chronic diseases like hypertension and rheumatoid arthritis reduced HRQoL (p<0.01). In regression analyses, older age, vertebral fracture, physical inactivity, long-term hormone therapy, and unemployment emerged as determinants of poorer HRQoL (p<0.05).

CONCLUSION

Osteoporosis and resultant fragility fractures, especially in vertebral and hand bones, led to substantial impairments in physical, social, psychological, and environmental HRQoL in Saudi women. Modifiable risk factors like physical inactivity and long-term hormone use also affected HRQoL. Targeted screening and multidomain interventions for disadvantaged women with osteoporosis are warranted to improve functioning and quality of life.

Physical activity and sedentary behavior trajectories and their associations with quality of life, disability, and all-cause mortality

BACKGROUND

Physical activity (PA) and sedentary behavior (SB) are not stable conditions but change over time and among individuals, and both could have deleterious effects on health-related outcomes among older adults. This study aimed to identify the longitudinal trajectories of PA and SB and estimate their association with quality of life, disability, and all-cause mortality in a national sample of older Mexican adults.

METHODS

Data comes from three waves of the WHO Study on global AGEing and adult health (SAGE) in Mexico (2009, 2014, 2017). In total, 3209 older adults ages 50 and above were included. PA and SB were determined by using the Global Physical Activity Questionnaire (GPAQ). Disability was measured using the WHO Disability Assessment Schedule (WHODAS 2.0), quality of life using the WHOQOL (WHO Quality of Life) instrument, and all-cause mortality using a verbal autopsy. We used growth mixture modeling (GMM) to investigate the longitudinal trajectories of PA and SB. Three-level linear mixed effect models were used to estimate the associations of PA and SB with quality of life and disability and the Cox model for the association with all-cause mortality.

RESULTS

Three longitudinal trajectories of PA and SB were found: low-PA-decreasers, moderate-PA-decreasers, and high-PA-decreasers for PA; and low-maintainers, steep-decreasers, and steep-increasers for SB. Decreased quality of life, increased disability, and all-cause mortality were all consistently associated with worse PA and SB trajectories.

CONCLUSIONS

Our results highlight the need for health policies and prevention strategies that promote PA and limit SB in middle-aged adults. Further studies should consider these activities/behaviors as exposures that vary throughout life and work to identify vulnerable groups of older adults for whom physical activation interventions and programs would be most impactful.

Walking together: women with the severe symptoms of menopause propose a platform for a walking program; outcome from focus groups

Background

Menopause and midlife are stages in a woman’s life that can be marked by debilitating symptoms and increasing risks for cancer, cardiovascular, metabolic, and bone health issues. Walking represents a simple, low cost, and widely accessible activity with proven health benefits, though its therapeutic effect on alleviating menopause symptoms is not well characterized. Women are generally not opposed to exercise programs; however, increasing or maintaining exercise levels remains a challenge. We undertook a qualitative descriptive study to explore features of a walking program that would be conductive to menopausal women’s participation, as well as to inform the development of such a program.

Methods

We conducted focus groups with women recruited from two menopause clinics and who suffered from moderate to severe menopause symptoms. The focus groups were audio recorded and transcribed. Women were prompted to talk about their menopause experience and exercise practice and how they would envision a walking exercise program that would keep them engaged. Qualitative content analysis was used to analyze the data and to identify characteristics of a walking exercise program.

Results

Twenty women participated in 5 focus groups. Women were very interested in trying walking as a means of staying healthy and possibly reducing menopause symptoms. Four major characteristics emerged as important for a walking program: (a) sensitivity to health realities of menopausal women, (b) inclusivity of various needs/levels of physical ability, (c) attentiveness to the need for mutual social support, (d) flexibility in planning of locations and scheduling.

A restricted social network platform with features catering to women in menopause was suggested as suitable to initiate and sustain an adequate walking program.

Conclusions

The findings of this study will be essential in designing a program that would be attractive for women to start and maintain a walking habit. The program would assist in elucidating whether walking is a useful and valuable alternative therapy for menopausal symptoms and, ultimately, might help women staying fit in midlife and postmenopausal.

Menopausal symptoms, physical activity level and quality of life of women living in the Mediterranean region

INTRODUCTION

The main purpose of this study is to investigate the relationship between menopause related discomforts and the quality of life of Lebanese women correlated with the physical activity level, anthropometric, medical, sociodemographic and lifestyle variables, during mid-life.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

This cross-sectional study was conducted among 1113 women, recruited from different Lebanese regions. The Menopause-Specific Quality of Life Questionnaire (MENQOL) was used to assess menopause related symptoms. Menopausal status was classified according to the World Health Organization's definition of menopause. The International Physical Activity Questionnaire was used to evaluate the physical activity level of participants. Anthropometric measurements were taken by the research team.

RESULTS

Participants were 49.53 ± 5.74 years old and had a mean body mass index of 26.69 ± 5.37 Kg/m2. The highest mean scores of MENQOL were found in the physical and psychosocial domains (p<0.001). Peri-menopausal women had the highest mean scores in the vasomotor, physical and psychosocial domains (p<0.001), while postmenopausal and menopausal women in the sexual domain (p<0.001). Almost half the participants (45.4%) had low physical activity level, which was significantly and inversely correlated with vasomotor, psychosocial, physical and sexual MENQOL subdomains (p<0.001). Menopausal status, educational level, crowding and body mass indexes, marital status, smoking and alcohol intake were among the factors that were significantly associated with the frequency and the severity of menopause related symptoms.

CONCLUSION

Physical activity may play a protective role in attenuating climacteric symptoms and hence improve the quality of life of women during mid-life.

Gender differences in the relationship between walking activity and sleep disturbance among community-dwelling older adult with diabetes in Taiwan

This study explored the gender differences in the relationship between walking activity and sleep disturbances. A cross-sectional study of 201 community-dwelling older adults with diabetes was conducted in southern Taiwan. Using the Taiwanese version of the International Physical Activity Questionnaire, self-administered short version (IPAQ-SS), information on physical activity and sleep disturbance conditions was collected. Among older female adults with diabetes, 54.2% reported sleep disturbance significantly higher than males (38.1%). Logistic regression analysis suggested that for women, in addition to the active group, older adults in the low-active, high-walking group exhibited a significantly lower rate of sleep disturbance than did those who walked less.

The Influence of Cigarette Smoke Exposure on the Copper Concentration in the Serum Depending on the Use of Menopausal Hormone Therapy

This study evaluated the effect of menopausal hormone therapy (MHT) on serum concentration of copper in postmenopausal women depending on passive or active exposure to tobacco smoke or lack thereof. The study included healthy postmenopausal women aged 42–69 years, who used (n = 76) or did not use (n = 76) MHT. Salivary cotinine and serum copper concentrations were determined in all the study subjects. Salivary cotinine exceeded 14 ng/ml in 14 women from the MHT group (18.5%) and in 16 controls (21.1%). Up to 41 (27%) study subjects had serum copper above the upper normal limit (1.17 mg/l). No correlation was found between salivary cotinine and serum copper in women with cotinine concentrations <14 ng/ml, and these two parameters correlated weakly in subjects with cotinine >14 ng/ml. Salivary concentration of cotinine increased with serum copper level in the MHT group, but not in the controls; smokers using MHT presented with significantly higher serum copper than nonsmokers. These findings imply that MHT does not affect serum concentration of copper in women who are not exposed to tobacco smoke. However, MHT seems to contribute to unfavorable increase in serum copper in passive and active smokers.

Recent evidence exploring the associations between physical activity and menopausal symptoms in midlife women: perceived risks and possible health benefits

Although the health benefits of physical activity are well established, the prevalence of midlife women accumulating sufficient physical activity to meet current physical activity guidelines is strikingly low, as shown in United States (U.S.) based surveillance systems that utilize either (or both) participant-reported and device-based (i.e., accelerometers) measures of activity. For midlife women, these low prevalence estimates may be due, in part, to a general lack of time given more pressing work commitments and family obligations. Further, the benefits or "reward" of allocating limited time to physical activity may be perceived, by some, as too distant for immediate action or attention. However, shifting the health promotion message from the long term benefits of physical activity to the more short-term, acute benefits may encourage midlife women to engage in more regular physical activity. In this article, we review the latest evidence (i.e., past 5 years) regarding the impact of physical activity on menopausal symptoms. Recent studies provide strong support for the absence of an effect of physical activity on vasomotor symptoms; evidence is still inconclusive regarding the role of physical activity on urogenital symptoms (vaginal dryness, urinary incontinence) and sleep, but consistently suggestive of a positive impact on mood and weight control. To further advance this field, we also propose additional considerations and future research directions.

Menopausal quality of life: RCT of yoga, exercise, and omega-3 supplements

OBJECTIVE

The purpose of this study was to determine the efficacy of 3 nonhormonal therapies for the improvement of menopause-related quality of life in women with vasomotor symptoms.

STUDY DESIGN

We conducted a 12-week 3 × 2 randomized, controlled, factorial design trial. Peri- and postmenopausal women, 40-62 years old, were assigned randomly to yoga (n = 107), exercise (n = 106), or usual activity (n = 142) and also assigned randomly to a double-blind comparison of omega-3 (n = 177) or placebo (n = 178) capsules. We performed the following interventions: (1) weekly 90-minute yoga classes with daily at-home practice, (2) individualized facility-based aerobic exercise training 3 times/week, and (3) 0.615 g omega-3 supplement, 3 times/day. The outcomes were assessed with the following scores: Menopausal Quality of Life Questionnaire (MENQOL) total and domain (vasomotor symptoms, psychosocial, physical and sexual).

RESULTS

Among 355 randomly assigned women who average age was 54.7 years, 338 women (95%) completed 12-week assessments. Mean baseline vasomotor symptoms frequency was 7.6/day, and the mean baseline total MENQOL score was 3.8 (range, 1-8 from better to worse) with no between-group differences. For yoga compared to usual activity, baseline to 12-week improvements were seen for MENQOL total -0.3 (95% confidence interval, -0.6 to 0; P = .02), vasomotor symptom domain (P = .02), and sexuality domain (P = .03) scores. For women who underwent exercise and omega-3 therapy compared with control subjects, improvements in baseline to 12-week total MENQOL scores were not observed. Exercise showed benefit in the MENQOL physical domain score at 12 weeks (P = .02).

CONCLUSION

All women become menopausal, and many of them seek medical advice on ways to improve quality of life; little evidence-based information exists. We found that, among healthy sedentary menopausal women, yoga appears to improve menopausal quality of life; the clinical significance of our finding is uncertain because of the modest effect.

Daily Pedometer Steps among Older Men: Associations with Health-Related Quality of Life and Psychosocial Health

Purpose.

To determine the associations of daily pedometer steps with health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and psychosocial health.

Design.

Cross-sectional.

Setting.

Alberta, Canada.

Subjects.

Three hundred eighty-five older-aged men 55 years of age and older.

Measures.

Subjects completed a mailed survey that assessed HRQoL (RAND-12 Health Status Inventory [RAND-12]), depression, anxiety, and satisfaction with life. Steps/day were assessed with a pedometer via a 3-day step-monitoring period.

Analysis.

Average pedometer steps/d were categorized into quartiles (Qs). The primary model assessed the association between average pedometer steps/d as the independent variable of interest and our dependent variables of interest (physical, mental, and global health component scores of the RAND-12).

Results.

For HRQoL, all three adjusted models (i.e., physical, mental, and global health) indicated a significant linear trend between HRQoL indices across pedometer step Qs, with participants in Q3 and Q4 demonstrating higher physical, mental, and global health compared to participants in the lowest Q of pedometer steps (Q1) (all p < .05). For depression, significant differences were observed between Q1 and Q3 (Mdiff = 3.3, p = .006, η2 = .019) and Q1 and Q4 (Mdiff = 2.7, p = .025, η2 = .013).

Conclusion.

Higher average steps/d were significantly associated with HRQoL across all domains. Older men in the higher Qs of pedometer steps/d reported less depressive symptoms compared to those in the lowest Q of pedometer steps/d.

Physical activity, psychological distress, and receipt of mental healthcare services among cancer survivors

PURPOSE

Physical activity confers multiple health benefits in the general population. This study examined the associations of physical activity with serious psychological distress (SPD) and receipt of mental healthcare services among U.S. adult cancer survivors.

METHODS

We analyzed data from 4,797 cancer survivors (aged ≥18 years) and 38,571 adults without cancer who participated in the 2009 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System. SPD was assessed using the Kessler-6 questionnaire. Adjusted prevalence and prevalence ratios were estimated by conducting log-linear regression analysis while controlling for potential confounders.

RESULTS

Overall, 6.6 % of cancer survivors (vs. 3.7 % of adults without cancer, P < 0.001) reported having SPD, and 14.0 % of cancer survivors (vs. 10.0 % of adults without cancer, P < 0.001) reported receiving mental healthcare services; the percentages decreased with increasing physical activity levels. After multivariate adjustment, compared to cancer survivors who were physically inactive, cancer survivors who engaged in physical activity >0 to <150 min/week and ≥150 min/week were 62 % and 61 % (P < 0.001 for both) less likely to report SPD, respectively; cancer survivors who engaged in physical activity ≥150 min/week were 33 % (P < 0.05) less likely to report receiving mental healthcare services. Additionally, the inverse association between physical activity and receiving mental healthcare services persisted among women with breast or reproductive cancers and among men and women with gastrointestinal cancers.

CONCLUSION

The inverse associations between physical activity and SPD or receiving mental healthcare services suggest that physical activity may play a role in improving mental health among cancer survivors.

IMPLICATIONS FOR CANCER SURVIVORS

Healthcare clinicians may consider routinely monitoring and assessing the psychological well-being of cancer survivors and educate them about the potential benefits of physical activity in improving their mental health.

The impact of physical activity on menopausal symptoms in middle-aged women

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the influence of physical activity on climacteric symptoms among middle-aged women in Brazil.

METHODS

A population-based sample of women aged 40-65 years was recruited from Natal, Brazil. Enrollment took place in basic health units in each health district of the city from June to September 2011. Data were collected while women waited for routine appointments at the health units. Climacteric symptoms were assessed using the Menopause Rating Scale and the Blatt-Kupperman Menopausal Index. The level of physical activity was assessed via the International Physical Activity Questionnaire. It was classified as low, moderate, or vigorous.

RESULTS

The mean age of the 370 participants was 49.8 ± 8.1 years. They were predominantly white (72.7%), married (61.6%), non-smokers (93.5%), and had undergone high-school education (70.5%). All domains of climacteric symptoms were significantly affected by physical activity: psychological (P<0.001); somatovegetative (P<0.001); and urogenital (P=0.008). Significant differences were found between the IPAQ groups of physical activity and the Blatt-Kupperman Menopausal Index for the following symptoms: hot flashes (P<0.001); paresthesia (P=0.022); insomnia (P<0.001); impatience (P<0.001); depression (P<0.001); vertigo (P<0.001); fatigue (P<0.001); arthralgia/myalgia (P<0.001); and palpitation (P<0.001).

CONCLUSION

Physical activity improved climacteric symptoms among middle-aged women in Brazil.

Effect of exercise combined with phytoestrogens on quality of life in postmenopausal women

BACKGROUND

Postmenopausal women seem to favor alternative therapies such as exercise and phytoestrogens as a substitute for potentially harmful hormone replacement therapy. Based on previous research, we hypothesized that phytoestrogens combined with exercise could have a synergic effect on women's health.

OBJECTIVE

To verify whether phytoestrogens enhance the response to mixed training regarding menopausal symptoms and quality of life in postmenopausal women.

METHODS

From a pool of women participating in a 6-month randomized, controlled exercise study, 21 received a placebo (mean age 58.3 ± 5.4 years, body mass index 29.8 ± 5.1 kg/m(2)) and 19 received phytoestrogen supplements (mean age 60.1 ± 3.4 years; body mass index 30.3 ± 4.6 kg/m(2)). Body weight, fat mass and lean body mass (dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry) were assessed. Quality of life was estimated by the Short Form-36 (SF-36) and Perceived Stress Scale-10 (PSS-10) questionnaires, and menopausal symptoms by the Kupperman index. All measurements were performed before and after the intervention.

RESULTS

Although the Kupperman index and PSS-10 remained unchanged in both groups, the SF-36 Physical Component Summary and almost all the SF-36 subscales (except for role-emotional and mental health) increased only in the exercise group taking phytoestrogens (0.001 < p < 0.04).

CONCLUSION

While phytoestrogens combined with mixed exercise were not sufficient to improve menopausal symptoms, it seemed to be a better strategy than exercise alone to improve the general quality of life in postmenopausal women.

Swallow characteristics in patients with oculopharyngeal muscular dystrophy

PURPOSE

This prospective investigation evaluates oral weakness and its impact on swallow function, weight, and quality of life in patients with oculopharyngeal muscular dystrophy (OPMD).

METHOD

Intraoral pressure, swallow pressure, and endurance were measured using an Iowa Oral Performance Instrument in participants with OPMD and matched controls. Timed water swallow, weight, and quality of life were also assessed.

RESULTS

Participants with OPMD were weaker than controls. Oral weakness impacted strength, swallow pressure, swallow capacity, swallow volume, swallow time, and quality of life. Tongue endurance was not affected by oral weakness.

CONCLUSION

This investigation provides further insight into the swallow function of patients with myopathic disease. Muscle fiber loss leads to weakness, which results in reductions in swallow function and quality of life. Weight and endurance are not greatly altered.