Personality, menopausal symptoms, and physical activity outcomes in middle-aged women

Abstract Background Physical activity is reported to prevent metabolic syndrome. However, it is unclear whether exercise or daily physical activity is more beneficial for residents of semi-mountainous areas. This study aimed to identify whether daily physical activity is more beneficial than exercise for the prevention of metabolic syndrome among middle-aged and older residents in semi-mountainous areas. Methods We analyzed secondary data of 636 people who underwent a specific health checkup in a semi-mountainous area of Japan. Physical activity was classified into four types: inactivity (I-type; without exercise and without daily physical activity), only exercise (E-type; with exercise and without daily physical activity), only daily physical activity (D-type; without exercise and with daily physical activity), and full physical activity type (F-type; with exercise and with daily physical activity). We compared the means of risk factors for metabolic syndrome by these four types, followed by logistic regression analysis, to identify whether and to what extent the D-type was less likely to have metabolic syndrome than the E-type. Results The prevalence of metabolic syndrome was 28.5% (men 45.7%, women 15.8%). The proportions of men with exercise and daily physical activity were 38.7% and 52.8%, respectively. For women, the proportions were 33.0% and 47.1%, respectively. In women, the D-type had the significantly lowest BMI, smallest waist circumference, highest HDL-C, and lowest prevalence of metabolic syndrome of the four types; the same was not observed in men. Additionally, D-type activity was more strongly associated with a reduced risk of metabolic syndrome than E-type activity in women (adjusted odds ratio 0.24; 95% confidence interval 0.06–0.85, P = 0.028). Conclusions Compared to middle-aged and older women residents with exercise in a semi-mountainous area of Japan, those with daily physical activity may effectively prevent metabolic syndrome.

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The Comparison of Physical Activity, Sedentary Behavior, and Mental Health between Early Menopausal Women and Age-Matched General Middle-Aged Women

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health ◽

10.3390/ijerph18147256 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 18 (14) ◽

pp. 7256

Author(s):

Ji-Su Kim ◽

Ju-Pil Choe ◽

Jeong-Hui Park ◽

Eunhye Yoo ◽

Jung-Min Lee

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Physical Activity ◽

Sedentary Behavior ◽

Healthy Lifestyle ◽

Multinomial Logistic Regression ◽

Middle Aged ◽

General Group ◽

Menopausal Women ◽

Global Physical Activity Questionnaire ◽

Causes Of Mortality

The current study is to examine the differences in physical activity (PA), sedentary behavior (SB), and mental health (i.e., stress, depression, and suicidal behaviors) between early menopausal women and age-matched general middle-aged women. Among 1348 participants in South Korea, 674 participants who experienced menopause before the age of 45 were defined as the early menopausal group, and 674 women who experienced menopause from 45 years to 55 years were classified as the general group by matching age based on early menopausal women. PA, SB, and mental health were evaluated by using the Global Physical Activity Questionnaire (GPAQ). An independent t-test was used to compare the associations of PA, SB, and mental health between the two groups. To demonstrate the predictors of early menopause, variables in the study were analyzed by multinomial logistic regression. The main findings were that moderate-to-vigorous PA (MVPA) and light PA (LPA) had significant differences between the two groups, but SB had no significant differences. In mental health, only perceived stress had significant differences in this study. The moderate level of stress in the early menopausal group was twice as high as that of the general group, and the severe level of stress was even 2.6 times higher than the general group. PA plays an essential role in mitigating the causes of mortality and the risk of various chronic diseases and improving quality of life; thus, the main findings of this study could be important to provide insights on the corresponding impact between early menopausal women and PA to encourage their healthy lifestyle. Further longitudinal studies are needed to examine the mechanisms underlying the effects of PA, SB, and mental health on early menopausal women.

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Physical activity and mental well-being under COVID-19 lockdown: a cross-sectional multination study

BMC Public Health ◽

10.1186/s12889-021-10931-5 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 21 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Costas I. Karageorghis ◽

Jonathan M. Bird ◽

Jasmin C. Hutchinson ◽

Mark Hamer ◽

Yvonne N. Delevoye-Turrell ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Physical Activity ◽

Young Adults ◽

Sedentary Behavior ◽

Online Survey ◽

Electronic Device ◽

Well Being ◽

Middle Aged ◽

Steps Per Day ◽

Western Nations

Abstract Background COVID-19 lockdowns have reduced opportunities for physical activity (PA) and encouraged more sedentary lifestyles. A concomitant of sedentariness is compromised mental health. We investigated the effects of COVID-19 lockdown on PA, sedentary behavior, and mental health across four Western nations (USA, UK, France, and Australia). Methods An online survey was administered in the second quarter of 2020 (N = 2541). We measured planned and unplanned dimensions of PA using the Brunel Lifestyle Physical Activity Questionnaire and mental health using the 12-item General Health Questionnaire. Steps per day were recorded only from participants who used an electronic device for this purpose, and sedentary behavior was reported in hours per day (sitting and screen time). Results In the USA and Australia samples, there was a significant decline in planned PA from pre- to during lockdown. Among young adults, Australians exhibited the lowest planned PA scores, while in middle-aged groups, the UK recorded the highest. Young adults exhibited the largest reduction in unplanned PA. Across nations, there was a reduction of ~ 2000 steps per day. Large increases in sedentary behavior emerged during lockdown, which were most acute in young adults. Lockdown was associated with a decline in mental health that was more pronounced in women. Conclusions The findings illustrate the deleterious effects of lockdown on PA, sedentary behavior, and mental health across four Western nations. Australian young and lower middle-aged adults appeared to fare particularly badly in terms of planned PA. The reduction in steps per day is equivalent to the non-expenditure of ~ 100 kcal. Declines in mental health show how harmful lockdowns can be for women in particular.

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