Long-term effect of physical activity on health-related quality of life among menopausal women: a 4-year follow-up study to a randomised controlled trial

OBJECTIVES: The aim of the study was to explore the long-term effects of physical activity intervention on quality of life (QoL) 4 years after an original randomised controlled trial (RCT). DESIGN: Cohort study after an RCT. SETTING: 95 of the 159 women from the original RCT participated in weight, height and waist circumference measurements, performed the UKK 2 km Walk Test and completed the SF-36 Health Survey questionnaire. Multilevel mixed regression models were performed in order to compare the original and current group in an RCT setting. PARTICIPANTS: There were 159 participants in the original RCT; 2.5 years later, 102 of the women responded to a questionnaire and 4-year after the trial, there were 95 respondents. The inclusion criteria in the original RCT were: being symptomatic, experiencing daily hot flushes, age between 40 and 63 years, not using hormone therapy now or in the past 3 months, sedentary lifestyle and having last menstruated 3–36 months earlier. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: Health-related QoL as measured with the SF-36 instrument. RESULTS: Women in the intervention group had a significantly higher probability of improved physical functioning (OR 1.41; 95% CI 1.00 to 1.99) as compared with women in the control group. In addition, women in the intervention group had higher odds of good role functioning (OR 1.21; 95% CI 0.88 to 1.67), physical health (OR 1.33; 95% CI 0.96 to 1.84) and general health (OR 1.14; 95% CI 0.81 to 1.62), relative to women in the control group, although the differences did not reach statistical significance. CONCLUSIONS: Women in the intervention group showed positive long-term effects on physical and mental dimensions of QoL after 4 years. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: ISRCTN54690027.