Importance: Menopause at younger ages is associated with a greater risk of adverse health outcomes such as osteoporosis, chronic diseases, and death. However, the association with physical function has not been well established. Objective: Assess the association between timing of menopause and different measures of physical function. Evidence Review: Searches on the PubMed, Cochrane Library, SciELO, LILACS, and Web of Science databases were conducted. Observational studies on the association between age at menopause and measures of physical function were included, with no restriction for publication date or language. Methodological quality was assessed by the “Quality Assessment Tool for Observational Cohort and Cross-Sectional Studies.” Findings: Four cross-sectional studies were included, totaling 13,846 participants. These investigated five measures of physical function: gait speed, grip strength, standing balance, chair stand, and self-reported functional limitations. Poor physical function was associated with premature (<40 y) or early menopause (<45 y) in all the studies, with significant results only for grip strength, gait speed, and functional limitation. Premature and early menopause were associated with weaker grip strength [between 2.58 kg (95% CI = 0.74 to 4.43) and 5.21 kg (2.18 to 8.25)], and lower gait speed [between 0.03 m/s (0.01 to 0.06) and 0.06 m/s (0.02 to 0.09)]. Menopause after the age of 50 is associated with less likelihood of functional limitation [OR between 0.52 (95% CI = 0.29 to 0.95) and 0.61 (0.40 to 0.95)] compared with premature and early menopause. Two measures of physical function (chair stand test and standing balance) were not significantly associated with age at menopause. Conclusion: Only four cross-sectional studies showed that earlier ages at menopause are associated with poor physical function (grip strength, gait speed, and self-reported functional limitations), but given the high heterogeneity of the studies, no consensus is possible. Longitudinal studies are needed to explore the association between age at menopause and different measures of physical function as well as the influence of different socioeconomic conditions between countries on functioning.

Objective: To analyze whether maternal age at first pregnancy and parity are mediators of the association between early menarche and metabolic syndrome in a sample of middle-aged and older women. Methods: Cross-sectional study of 428 women (40 to 80 y), who had experienced a pregnancy in their lifetime, was performed between 2014 and 2016. Age at first pregnancy, parity, and early menarche were self-reported. Metabolic syndrome was assessed using the criteria described by the National Cholesterol Education Program's Adult Treatment Panel III. The association between metabolic syndrome and early menarche was assessed by logistic regression analysis. The mediating role of age at first pregnancy and multiparity in the relationship between early menarche and metabolic syndrome was assessed through mediation analysis, adjusted for covariates. Results: According to adjusted logistic regression models, early menarche was associated with higher odds of prevalent metabolic syndrome (OR: 2.26; 95% CI: 1.15-4.46). Mediation analysis showed a significant direct effect of early menarche on metabolic syndrome (β: 0.808; 95% CI: 0.107-1.508). Of the two mediators tested, age at first pregnancy was significant (β: 0.065; 95% CI: 0.004-0.221), ie, participants with and without early menarche differ, on average, by 0.879 SDs in the log odds of MetS (total effect), of which 0.065 SDs (8%), on average, would be attributable to the effect of early menarche on age at first pregnancy (indirect effect), which, in turn, affects MetS. Conclusions: Age at first pregnancy may partially contribute to the association between early menarche and metabolic syndrome among middle-aged and older women who had experienced a pregnancy over their lifetime.

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Introduction Physical function is considered an important marker of adverse health outcomes. Postmenopausal women seem to have worse physical function, but conflicting results have been reported in the literature. The aim of this systematic review is to assess the association between menopausal status and physical function in community-dwelling women. Methods Cross-sectional and/or longitudinal studies which objectively or subjectively assess physical function at different menopausal stages will be included. Studies conducted in institutionalized populations or with any specific medical condition that may have induced menopause (i.e. cancer or degenerative diseases) will be excluded. This systematic review protocol follows the recommendations of the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis Protocols (PRISMA-P). The searches will be carried out in the Pubmed, Embase, SciELO (Scientific Electronic Library Online), LILACS (Latin American and Caribbean Literature on Health Sciences), VHL (Virtual Health Library), Scopus and Web of Science databases, using the search equation “Menopause AND (Physical Performance OR Function)”. The Quality Assessment Tool for Observational Cohort and Cross-Sectional Studies will be considered to assess the methodological quality of the included studies. The selection and evaluation of the methodological quality of the studies will be carried out by independent researchers and the discrepancies will be resolved by a separate researcher. Ethics and disclosure Ethical approval is not required as this is a study using secondary data. The results will be published in a scientific journal. We intend to contribute to the expansion of knowledge regarding physical function of women according to the menopause status, thus helping in the perspective of improving health and functioning. This systematic review started in January 2022 and all steps are expected to be finished by October 2022. PROSPERO registration number CRD42021289899.

Introduction: Physical exercise may improve motor skills, such as static standing balance. However, the association between physical activity level based on activities of daily living and static balance is unknown. Objective: To assess the association between the physical activity level and static balance in middle-aged and older women. Methods: This cross-sectional study involved 589 community-dwelling women. Static balance was assessed using the single-leg stance test (SLST) with eyes open and closed. Physical activity level was assessed using the International Physical Activity Questionnaire Short Form and classified as high, moderate, or low. Kruskal-Wallis test compared balance performance between participants with different physical activity levels. Multiple quantile regression analyses assessed the association between variables adjusted for age, family income, educational level, body mass index, comorbidities, and parity. Results: Participants with low physical activity level showed worse SLST performance with eyes open and closed than participants with high physical activity level in the bivariate analysis. However, physical activity level and SLST performance were not associated in the analysis adjusted for covariates. Conclusion: Our results suggested that only being active in daily living activities is not associated with better standing balance in middle-aged and older women. Specific physical exercise programs should be implemented to improve balance in this population.

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