Nutrition of postmenopausal women physical activity and determination of feeding level of knowledge

The menopause is a period, which commonly regarded as the end of the menstruation for women and the women go through various hormonal, physiological and psychological changes. This study was conducted on 100 women aged between 45 and 80 who had been diagnosed with menopause. Information on the individuals? food habits, as well as their levels of nutritional knowledge, anthropometric measurements, body compositions as assessed by bioelectrical impedance analysis, food consumption patterns, and levels of physical of activity were gathered. A questionnaire consist of 20 items was posed to the individuals in order to find out their nutritional knowledge level. The nutritional knowledge levels were scored as follows: 16-20: `good?; 10 -15 `satisfactory?; below 10 `poor?. The average weight of the individuals was scored as 62.5±9.00 kg before menopause as compared to their current average weight of 71.9±11.02, and the difference between two values was considered statistically significant (p<0.05). The BMI (Body Mass Index) was scored as follows: average: 28.6±4.16 kg/m2, waist circumfrence average: 87.3±7.61 cm, hip circumference average: 106.0±7.88 cm, waist to hip ratio: 0.08±0.49 cm. The body fat ratios were calculated as follows: average 36.6%±4.18, fat-free mass: 44.5±6.47 kg and body water percentage: 45.1%±3.67. The most common symptom for 63% of the individuals during menopause period was hot flush. No statistically significant relation was found between the duration of menopause and the symptoms related to menopause. When the relation between the duration of menopause and the anthropometric measurements and body analysis of the individuals were studied. Only a significant negative relation was found between the body water percentage and the duration of menopause (r=0.210, p=0.036). No statistically significant difference was found in the average age of menopause between the individuals with smoking habits and the individuals non-smoking habits (p>0.05). No statistically significant difference was found in the average age of menopause and the symptoms experienced during menopause between the individuals who exercise regularly (or perform physical activity) and the individuals who do not exercise regularly (or do not perform physical activity) (p>0.05). The difference between the BMI groups of the individuals who exercise and the individuals who do not exercise was found statistically significant (p<0.05). It was found that 44% of the individuals who participated in this study did not have regular meals and 37% of them skipped the lunch. The average nutritional knowledge score of the individuals were 17.4±1.93. The nutritional knowledge scores for these individuals were as follows: 86%: 16-20, and 14%: 10-15. There were no individuals who had nutritional knowledge score below 10. The BMI average was found 28.34±3.70 for the individuals whose nutritional knowledge level was between 16 and 20 and 30.28±6.24 for the individuals whose nutritional knowledge level was between 10 and 15. The difference between these two averages is statistically significant (p=0.000). Snack consumption of the individuals between main meals increases with respect to increase in nutritional knowledge levels (p=0.002). As the nutritional knowledge level increased, waist circumference (p=0.006), BMI (p=0.002), hip circumference (p=0.034), fat-free body mass (p=0.002) and body fat (p=0.036) decreased. In conclusion, it was ascertained that as the nutritional knowledge level increases in women, their anthropometric measurements and body composition decrease. Key words: Menopause, BMI, physical activity, the level of nutrition knowledge, nutrition knowledge score