OBJECTIVES: To investigate the physical activity (PA) level of Nigerian women aged 40-60 years and examine possible association between the PA level and some health-related and socio-demographic variables. METHODS: This is a cross-sectional study of 547 women in which a purposive sampling method was used to recruit participants in urban centers of three states from three geopolitical zones in Nigeria. The International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ)-short form, was used to assess PA level. A self-administered 13-item semi-structured questionnaire was used to obtain health-related (menopausal status, perceived health status, health problems, menopausal symptoms) and socio-demographic (age, marital status, educational level, occupation, personal income) information from participants. Chi-square and logistic-regression analysis were used to assess association between PA level and these variables. RESULTS: The mean age of participants was 49.21±5.2 years, comprising 184 (33.6%) premenopausal, 129 (23.6%) perimenopausal and 234 (42.8%) postmenopausal women. Most of the women in the three menopausal groups reported moderate PA level. No significant association was observed between PA level and menopausal status (P=0.348), health problems (P=0.079) or any of the menopausal symptoms and age-group (P=0.381) of the women. PA level had a direct significant association with perceived health status (P=0.001) and educational level (P=0.000). CONCLUSION: Menopausal women in Nigeria reported a moderate PA level. Self-perception of good health, having secondary/post-secondary education, were directly associated with not being of a low PA level.
OBJECTIVES: To investigate the physical activity (PA) level of Nigerian women aged 40-60 years and examine possible association between the PA level and some health-related and socio-demographic variables. METHODS: This is a cross-sectional study of 547 women in which a purposive sampling method was used to recruit participants in urban centers of three states from three geopolitical zones in Nigeria. The International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ)-short form, was used to assess PA level. A self-administered 13-item semi-structured questionnaire was used to obtain health-related (menopausal status, perceived health status, health problems, menopausal symptoms) and socio-demographic (age, marital status, educational level, occupation, personal income) information from participants. Chi-square and logistic-regression analysis were used to assess association between PA level and these variables. RESULTS: The mean age of participants was 49.21±5.2 years, comprising 184 (33.6%) premenopausal, 129 (23.6%) perimenopausal and 234 (42.8%) postmenopausal women. Most of the women in the three menopausal groups reported moderate PA level. No significant association was observed between PA level and menopausal status (P=0.348), health problems (P=0.079) or any of the menopausal symptoms and age-group (P=0.381) of the women. PA level had a direct significant association with perceived health status (P=0.001) and educational level (P=0.000). CONCLUSION: Menopausal women in Nigeria reported a moderate PA level. Self-perception of good health, having secondary/post-secondary education, were directly associated with not being of a low PA level.