Impact of anthropometric parameters on quality of life during menopause.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate whether body mass index (BMI), abdominal obesity, and fat distribution in postmenopausal women influence quality of life.


METHODS
Cross-sectional survey.


METHODS
Outpatient clinics in the hospital setting and private practices.


METHODS
274 postmenopausal Spanish women, distributed by body phenotype, fat distribution (android or gynoid), and BMI.


METHODS
The Cervantes scale, a specific health-related quality of life (HRQOL) questionnaire.


METHODS
The quality of life of the obese and overweight patients was compared by age, sex, education, marriage, and municipality with matched healthy normal-weight controls.


RESULTS
Women of the pyknoid phenotype have worse general HRQOL, menopausal symptoms, and psychological and sexuality scores than athletic or lean women. Android fat distribution is also related to low global Cervantes scale scores. All scores on the Cervantes scale worsened with increasing BMI (>or=25).


CONCLUSIONS
Pyknoid phenotype, android fat distribution, and a higher BMI are related to poor HRQOL.
Castelo-Branco
Camil
C
Institut Clínic de Ginecologia, Obstetrícia i Neonatologia (ICGON), Hospital Clínic, Facultat de Medicina, Universitat de Barcelona, IDIBAPS, Barcelona, Spain. castelobranco@ub.edu
Palacios
Santiago
S
Ferrer-Barriendos
Javier
J
Cancelo
María Jesús
MJ
Quereda
Francisco
F
Alberich
Xavier
X
D000886:Anthropometry; D050218:Body Fat Distribution / Q000523:psychology*; D015992:Body Mass Index; D017281:Cost of Illness; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D019584:Hot Flashes / Q000523:psychology; D006801:Humans; D008593:Menopause / Q000523:psychology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D056128:Obesity, Abdominal / Q000523:psychology*; D011788:Quality of Life; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires