Impact of Physical Activity on General Health among Menopausal Women

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Faculty of Medicine, Suez Canal University, Ismailia, Egypt

2 Department of Rheumatology and Rehabilitation, Faculty of Medicine, Suez-Canal University, Egypt

Abstract

Aim: This study evaluated the role of physical activity in boosting the general health of menopausal women.
Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted at Suez-Canal University Hospital, Ismailia, Egypt.
Hundred-ninety-one menopausal women were included. Their physical activity was assessed using the international
physical activity questionnaire (IPAQ), whereas their general heath was evaluated through the 28-item general health
questionnaire (GHQ). Data were analyzed using SPSS, and results were considered statistically significant at a p-value
less than 0.05.
Results: The majority of the enrolled women had a low-to-intermediate level of physical activity, whereas the rest (24%)
encountered a high physical level. We found a statistically significant difference in general health subscales between the
low, intermediate and high physical levels (p < 0.001). In particular, women with low physical activity had higher total
GHQ scores compared to those with high physical activity had the lowest total GHQ scores. Moreover, women who were
obese (p < 0.001), diabetic (p < 0.001) and/or hypertensive (p < 0.001), complaining of vaginal dryness (p=0.02) and/or
joint and muscular discomfort (p < 0.001) had significantly higher total GHQ scores.
Conclusion: Physical activity of menopausal women is significantly associated with their general health, as less active
women had poor general health.

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