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


METHODS
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.


RESULTS
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.


CONCLUSIONS
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.
Department of Physiology and Pathophysiology, University AbdelmalekEssaadi, Tetouan, Morocco.
Dia Eddine
DE
Oudghiri
Department of Physiology and Institute of Nutrition and Food Technology, Faculty of Pharmacy and School of Sport Sciences, University of Granada, Granada, Spain.
Pilar
P
Ruiz-Cabello
Department of Physiology and Institute of Nutrition and Food Technology, Faculty of Pharmacy and School of Sport Sciences, University of Granada, Granada, Spain.
Daniel
D
Camiletti-Moirón
Department of Physiology and Institute of Nutrition and Food Technology, Faculty of Pharmacy and School of Sport Sciences, University of Granada, Granada, Spain.
María Del Mar
Mdel M
Fernández
Department of Physiology and Institute of Nutrition and Food Technology, Faculty of Pharmacy and School of Sport Sciences, University of Granada, Granada, Spain.
Pilar
P
Aranda
Department of Physiology and Institute of Nutrition and Food Technology, Faculty of Pharmacy and School of Sport Sciences, University of Granada, Granada, Spain; Department of Public and Occupational Health, VU University and EMGO+ Institute for Health and Care Research, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
Virginia Ariadna
VA
Aparicio
D000368:Aged; D001835:Body Weight / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006304:Health Status; D006339:Heart Rate / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D008055:Lipids / Q000097:blood; D008603:Mental Health; D024821:Metabolic Syndrome / Q000453:epidemiology; D008875:Middle Aged; D009018:Morocco / Q000453:epidemiology; D053580:Muscle Strength / Q000502:physiology; D009765:Obesity / Q000453:epidemiology; D050177:Overweight / Q000453:epidemiology; D047648:Perimenopause / Q000502:physiology*; D010809:Physical Fitness / Q000502:physiology*; D015995:Prevalence; D011788:Quality of Life
D008055:Lipids
Metabolic syndrome; cardiovascular disease; obesity; physical fitness