A043: Effects of Treadmill Exercise on Negative Emotions in Postmenopausal Women

Negative emotions occur across all genders and age groups, but their prevalence is notably higher in women during and after perimenopause. This study aims to analyze the effects of a treadmill-based exercise program on depression, anxiety, and stress in community-dwelling Chinese women. Additionally, it seeks to investigate whether these changes are associated with physical changes, such as improvements in body composition or body satisfaction. Method: A total of 80 postmenopausal women (57.04 ± 5.49 years) were recruited from local communities and participated in this single-blind, controlled trial. Participants were assigned to either a control group (n = 40) or an exercise group (n = 40 completed 8 weeks of moderate-intensity treadmill exercise or received usual care. Negative emotions (the primary outcome) were assessed using the Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale-21. Body composition was evaluated using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry, and body satisfaction was measured using the Body Appreciation Scale-2. Repeated measures ANOVA was used to examine mean differences in negative emotions between the two groups. Pearson correlation was used to explore the relationship between changes in physical parameters and changes in negative emotions. Once a significant correlation is established, mediation analysis will be employed to investigate whether the physical parameters mediate the relationship between the group assignment and changes in negative emotions. After 8 weeks, the exercise group showed a significant improvement in negative emotions (mean difference = −1.775 points, 95% CI −0.513, −3.037, p = 0.006) compared to the control group (group × time interaction, F(1,78) = 4.976, p = 0.029, η ² = 0.060). Specifically, exercise significantly reduced anxiety (p = 0.009), tended to improve depression (p = 0.057), but had no significant effect on stress (p = 0.216). The reduction in negative emotions was associated with improvements in body fat (r = 0.271, p = 0.015) and body satisfaction (r = 0.240, p = 0.032), but not with changes in body weight. Mediation analysis revealed that changes in body satisfaction (rather than body fat) mediated the relationship between group assignment and changes in negative emotions (mediator proportion = 18.7%). For community-dwelling Chinese postmenopausal women, an 8-week treadmill-based exercise intervention has beneficial effects on negative emotions. This improvement may be linked to changes in body composition and body satisfaction, particularly body satisfaction. Future research should further investigate the mechanisms through which exercise alleviates negative emotions in postmenopausal women.