Author(s): LE BOURVELLEC, M., BOIS, J., DELPECH, N., AIBAR, A., BOSQUET, L., ENEA, C., Institution: UNIVERSITÉ DE POITIERS, Country: FRANCE, Abstract-ID: 2207

INTRODUCTION:
The menopausal transition induces symptoms (e.g., hot flashes, anxiety, and sleep disorders, etc.), associated with an increased risk of developing cardiovascular (CV) disease [1]. In this population, regular physical activity (PA) appears to be an attractive non-pharmacological strategy to both improve symptoms and reduce CV risk [2]. However, several studies have shown that menopause has a negative impact on the duration and frequency of PA in women [3], which may be due to menopausal symptoms. The aim of this study is to evaluate the association between menopausal symptoms and PA levels in women.
METHODS:
An online cross-sectional study was conducted among peri- and postmenopausal women aged 40-60 years.
Menopausal symptoms were assessed using the Menopausal Rating Scale, the Hospital Anxiety and Depression questionnaire, the Insomnia Severity Index, the Hot Flash Related Daily Interference Scale, and the same anxiety and depressive interference scales developed in this study. The moderate-to-vigorous PA (MVPA) time (at work, during travel and during leisure time) and sedentary time were assessed using the Global Physical Activity Questionnaire.
Hierarchical clusters were created using scores from all questionnaires assessing menopausal symptoms, using the Ward method with a squared Euclidean distance measure. Nonparametric MANOVA, Kruskal-Wallis test, and Dunn post hoc with Bonferroni correction were used to compare MVPA and sedentary time as dependent variables between clusters. Data are presented as medians (interquartile ranges).
RESULTS:
N=349 women completed the questionnaire. 147 women were classified as “low”, 147 as “moderate” and 57 as “severe” symptoms. Manova mutivariate effects was significant (F=5.087, p=0.02) between the clusters in terms of total MVPA and sedentary time. Regarding PA type, only MPVA during leisure time differed between clusters (H=7.449, p=0.02). Women with moderate and severe symptoms had lower levels of leisure MVPA compared to women with low symptoms (low : 120 (240) vs. moderate 60 (195), p=0.04), (low: 120 (204) vs severe : 7 (180), p=0.03). MVPA differences between moderate and severe groups were non-significant.
CONCLUSION:
These results suggest that women with moderate or severe symptoms are also those with low leisure-time PA levels. Further data are needed to better identify women at risk for lowering their PA levels during the menopausal transition, to allow for better management and reduction of CV risk.

References
[1] Muka, T. et al., (2016). Association of Vasomotor and Other Menopausal Symptoms with Risk of Cardiovascular Disease : A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. PloS One, 11(6), e0157417.
[2] Liu, T., et al., (2022). Effects of exercise on vasomotor symptoms in menopausal women : A systematic review and meta-analysis. Climacteric, 1‑10.
[3] ONAPS. (2023). Enquête sur les comportements sédentaires et la pratique d’une activité physique lors des transitions de vie de la femme.