Influence of weight status on physical and mental health in Moroccan perimenopausal women

• Published in: The Pan African medical journal Vol. 23; no. 153; p. 153
• Main Authors: Oudghiri, Dia Eddine, Ruiz-Cabello, Pilar, Camiletti-Moirón, Daniel, Fernández, María Del Mar, Aranda, Pilar, Aparicio, Virginia Ariadna
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Uganda African Field Epidemiology Network 2016; The African Field Epidemiology Network; The Pan African Medical Journal
• Subjects: Aged; Body Weight - physiology; cardiovascular disease; Female; Health Status; Heart Rate - physiology; Humans; Lipids - blood; Mental Health; Metabolic syndrome; Metabolic Syndrome - epidemiology; Middle Aged; Morocco - epidemiology; Muscle Strength - physiology; Obesity; Obesity - epidemiology; Overweight - epidemiology; Perimenopause - physiology; Physical fitness; Physical Fitness - physiology; Prevalence; Quality of Life; cardiovascular disease; Metabolic syndrome; physical fitness; obesity
• ISSN: 1937-8688; 1937-8688
• DOI: 10.11604/pamj.2016.23.153.8208

There is a lack of information about fitness and other health indicators in women from countries such as Morocco. This study aims to explore the association of weight status with physical and mental health in Moroccan perimenopausal women.
151 women (45-65 years) from the North of Morocco were analyzed by standardized field-based fitness tests to assess cardiorespiratory fitness, muscular strength, flexibility, agility and balance. Quality of life was assessed by means of the Short-Form-36 Health Survey. Resting heart rate, blood pressure and plasma fasting glucose, total cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol, HDL-cholesterol and triglycerides were also measured.
Blood pressure (P=0.001), plasma triglycerides (P=0.041) and the prevalence of metabolic syndrome (P<0.001) increased as weight status increased. Levels of cardiorespiratory fitness, upper-body flexibility (both, P<0.001), static balance (P<0.05) and dynamic balance (P<0.01) decreased as weight status increased. Pairwise comparisons showed differences mainly between normal-weight and overweight vs. obese groups. No differences between groups were observed on quality of life.
Cardiovascular and lipid profile and fitness, important indicators of cardiovascular disease risk, worsened as weight status increased, whereas quality of life appears to be independent of weight status. Exercise and nutritional programs focus on weight management may be advisable in this under studied population.