Physical activity, menopause, and quality of life

In Brief Objective: Physical activity has been shown to enhance quality of life (QOL); however, few investigations of these effects exist in women undergoing the menopausal transition. The present study examined the long-term effects of physical activity on menopause-related QOL and tested the mediating effects of physical self-worth and positive affect in this relationship. Methods: Middle-aged women previously enrolled in a 4-month randomized controlled trial involving walking and yoga, and a control group completed a follow-up mail-in survey 2 years after the end of the trial. The survey included a battery of psychological and physical activity measures, including measures of menopausal symptoms and menopause-related QOL. Longitudinal linear panel analysis was conducted within a covariance modeling framework to test whether physical self-worth and positive affect mediated the physical activity-QOL relationship over time. Results: At the end of the trial, physical activity and menopausal symptoms were related to physical self-worth and positive affect, and in turn, greater levels of physical self-worth and positive affect were associated with higher levels of menopause-related QOL. Analyses indicated that increases in physical activity and decreases in menopausal symptoms over the 2-year period were related to increases in physical self-worth (βs = 0.23 and −0.52, physical activity and menopausal symptoms, respectively) and, for symptoms, also to decreased positive affect (β = −0.47), and both physical self-worth (β = 0.34) and affect (β = 0.43) directly influenced enhancements in QOL (R2 = 0.775). Conclusions: The findings support the position that the effects of physical activity on QOL are mediated, in part, by intermediate psychological outcomes and that physical activity can have long-term benefits for women undergoing the menopausal transition. A two-year follow-up survey was conducted with middle-aged women previously enrolled in a randomized controlled exercise trial to examine the relationship between physical activity and menopause-related quality of life (QOL). The results indicated that increasing physical activity over time may enhance QOL, albeit indirectly via its effects on physical self-worth and positive affect.