The Relationship between Body Fat Distribution and Postmenopausal and Menopausal Women’s Quality of Life

Abstract

Introduction: Considering the issue in the population of postmenopausal women, no study has been conducted in Iran so far on the relationship between body fat distribution and quality of life. This study aimed to investigate the correlation between body fat distribution and quality of life in menopausal women.Methods: The present descriptive study was conducted on 250 premenopausal and menopausal women aged 40-65 years. Samples were selected by a multi-stage random sampling method. Data were collected through a two-part questionnaire including demographic variables and a questionnaire on the postmenopausal women’s life quality in health centers. The data were analyzed using Statistical tests, distribution, frequency percentage mean score, Standard deviation, and independent sample t-tests.Results: The mean age of participants was 55.17 years. There was a statistically significant difference between the two forms of body fat distribution in the vasomotor domain (p = 0.021), the physical domain (p = 0.044), and the sexual domain (p = 0.001), but no statistically significant difference was observed for the psychological domain (p = 0.148).Conclusion: The results of the present study showed a significant difference in some aspects of the postmenopausal women’s life quality with pear-shaped and gynoid fat distribution.

Keywords

• body fat distribution
• menopause
• quality of life