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

IntroductionThe 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 methodsThis 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.ResultsParticipants 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 (pConclusionPhysical activity may play a protective role in attenuating climacteric symptoms and hence improve the quality of life of women during mid-life.