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.