Abstract
Background: Understanding the hormonal fluctuations and
changes in the musculoskeletal system during menopause is
important for health promotion and improving quality of life.
Objectives: This study aimed to determine the physical ability
of sedentary premenopausal, perimenopausal, and postmenopausal
women.
Methods: Female participants between the ages of 37 and 65
years (n=53) were divided into three groups according to
menopausal transition guidelines and underwent
anthropometric and physical tests. Descriptive and inferential
statistics were computed, including post-hoc pairwise
comparisons and ANOV A for significance between the three
groups (p<0.05). The Bonferroni correction for multiple tests
was applied. Results were expressed as mean and standard
deviation.
Results: Statistically significant differences were observed in
weight (0.010) and waist circumference (0.0001) among the
three groups. For the timed up-and-go test, premenopausal
women performed significantly better than both
perimenopausal (p=0.027) and postmenopausal women
(p=0.0001). The one-minute push-up test showed a significant
reduction in upper body strength from premenopause to
postmenopause (p=0.002). The one-minute sit-up test showed
significant declines between premenopause and
postmenopause (p=0.001) and between perimenopause and
postmenopause (p=0.030). The single-leg balance showed
significant impairments in postmenopausal women compared
to premenopausal women (p:s;0.008 for both legs), and the sitto-
stand test revealed significant differences between
premenopause and postmenopause (p=0.0001) and
perimenopause and postmenopause (p=0.025).
Conclusion: Premenopausal women exhibited the highest pvalue
significance and mean scores in various parameters,
followed by the perimenopausal and post-menopausal
groups. Physical performance in basic muscle function tests
suggests a decline in muscle strength and endurance during
the menopausal transition.