RESEARCH QUESTIONS: Does a structured aerobic exercise program impact the quality of life in menopausal women?
OBJECTIVES: â–ª To assess the existing menopausal quality of life among menopausal women. â–ª To compare the menopausal quality of life between the interventional group and a control group. â–ª To find out the association of selected sociodemographic variables with menopausal quality of life among menopausal women.
HYPOTHESES: H0: There is no significant difference in the menopausal quality of life scores between the intervention group and the control group of postmenopausal women.
OPERATIONAL DEFINITIONS:
• Effect: in my study it refers to the extent to which structured aerobic exercise program has an impact on the quality of life among menopausal women, as assessed by difference in pre and post menopausal specific Quality of Life scores
Structured exercise program: A structured aerobic exercise program refers to a planned and organized regimen of physical activities designed to improve quality of life in menopausal women, it includes continuous, rhythmic movements that engage large muscle groups like walking, jogging, aerobic dance with defined frequency, intensity, and duration.
• Menopausal quality of life: The subjective assessment of an individual’s overall wellbeing, encompassing physical, emotional, and social dimensions measured using the Menopause-Specific Quality of Life questionnaire. •
Menopausal women: are women who have undergone permanent cessation of menstrual periods for at least 12 consecutive months confirmed through self-reporting and/or medical verification, such as clinical records or physician confirmation.
DELIMITATIONS: this study is only delimited to selected areas of Bhopal.
MATERIALS AND METHODS •
Research approach and design: quantitative, true experimental, randomized controlled trial
Research variables: Independent variable: structured aerobic exercise program Dependent variable: quality of life
Research setting: selected areas of Bhopal
POPULATION
Target population: menopausal women of Bhopal
Accessible population: menopausal women residing in a specific geographic location or community of Bhopal
SAMPLE
Inclusion criteria:
Women aged 45-60 years.
Confirmed menopausal status.
Willingness to participate and provide informed consent.
Exclusion Criteria:
Having cardiovascular or musculoskeletal conditions.
Participation in any other structured program/exercise.
Medical conditions contraindicating aerobic exercise.
Sample size: �’� = 4ð›¿Â²/ð¸Â² Here: �’� = sample size per group 𛿠= the expected effect size (difference in means) ð¸ = the margin of error or precision Sample size is 45 in each group i.e 90 participants approximately. Actual sample size will be calculated after pilot study.
Sampling technique: Convenient sampling then randomization will be done by 1:1 allocation, with the help of sequentially numbered opaque sealed envelope (SNOSE).
DATA COLLECTION TOOL/INSTRUMENTS • Description of tools: Socio demographic data sheetA self structured tool will contain item like age, marital status, education, occupation, family income, residence, type of family, dietary pattern. Menopause-Specific Quality of Life (MENQOL) Questionnaire: The MENQOL questionnaire is specifically designed to measure the quality of life in menopausal women. It includes domains such as vasomotor, psychosocial, physical, and sexual symptoms associated with menopause. The MENQOL questionnaire typically consists of 29 items, and respondents rate the impact of menopausal symptoms on different aspects of their life using a Likert scale. The questionnaire covers four specific domains: 1. Vasomotor Symptoms: This domain focuses on symptoms such as hot flashes and night sweats. 2. Psychosocial Symptoms: This domain assesses the impact of menopause on mood, anxiety, and overall psychological well-being. 3. Physical Symptoms: This domain addresses physical symptoms associated with menopause, such as joint and muscle pain. 4. Sexual Symptoms: This domain evaluates the impact of menopausal symptoms on sexual function and satisfaction. Each item in the questionnaire is scored on a scale from 0 to 6, with higher scores indicating a greater negative impact on quality of life. The scores from each domain can be analyzed separately or combined to provide an overall assessment of the impact of menopausal symptoms on a woman’s quality of life. The MENQOL questionnaire is a valuable tool for researchers and healthcare professionals seeking to understand the specific challenges and experiences of women going through menopause. It has been translated into multiple languages and has been used in various cultural contexts. When using the MENQOL questionnaire, researchers should follow guidelines for administration and scoring provided by the developers to ensure accurate and reliable results.
Validity of tools: the tool will be verified by the experts from the field of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, and nursing.
Reliability of tool: MENQOL scale had a high internal consistency of 0.90 Ethical consideration: Written permission will be taken from the concerned authority; ethical clearance will be taken from, The institutional human ethical committee,IHEC-SR & informed consent will be taken from the subject.
PROCEDURE OF DATA COLLECTION: After getting ethical consideration and subjects consent. • The data will be collected for a period of 6-8 weeks.
It will be collected from the Accessible population: Randomization of participants will be done by using SNOSE, pre test taken from both groups and after that structured exercise program will be administered to interventional group (40 min aerobic exercise, 4 times a week) for 6 weeks. Post test will be taken after completion of 6 weeks of intervention.
PLAN FOR DATA ANALYSIS: Analysis will be done using descriptive & inferential statistics.
Descriptive statistics: frequency and percentage distribution to analyse the socio-demographic variables in experimental and control group. â–ª Mean and standard deviation will used to compare outcomes between the exercise group and a control group.
Inferential statistics: unpaired t test will used to compare outcomes between the exercise group and a control group with routine activities â–ª Chi square test will be used to find association between selected socio-demographic variable and structured exercise program. â–ª The analysed data will be presented in the form of tables, diagrams and graphs.
SUMMARY: This study aims to investigate the effect of a structured aerobic exercise program on the quality of life in menopausal women. The study employs a randomized controlled trial design, with menopausal women randomly assigned to either the intervention group participating in a carefully structured aerobic exercise program or a control group. The intervention group engages in regular sessions of aerobic exercises, including walking, jogging, etc. with a defined frequency and duration. The control group maintains their usual lifestyle without participating in any structured exercise program. Validated quality of life assessment tools, such as the Menopause-Specific Quality of Life (MENQOL) questionnaire, are employed to measure outcomes. Baseline data, including demographic information and initial quality of life assessments, are collected before the intervention begins. Throughout the study, researchers monitor adherence to the exercise program, track any potential adverse events, and gather follow-up data at specified intervals. Blinding procedures are implemented where feasible to minimize bias. The hypothesis posits that women in the intervention group engaging in aerobic exercise will experience a statistically significant improvement in overall quality of life compared to the control group.