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Development and Effects of College-Based Lifestyle Modification Program for Menstrual Health of Young Adult Women with Irregular Menses: A Randomized Controlled Trial.
Park, YJ, Shin, H, Jeon, S, Cho, I, Park, HJ
International journal of environmental research and public health. 2020;18(1)
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Irregular menstruation is characterized by abnormal uterine bleeding, unpredictable menstrual volume, and irregularity of menstruation. A regular menstrual cycle demonstrates a normal sex hormone profile and functioning of reproductive organs, whereas irregularity may suggest a dysfunctional sex hormone profile or disorder of reproductive organs. This study is a randomised controlled trial intended to develop a College-based Lifestyle Modification Programme (LMP) to improve the menstrual health of young adult women who experienced irregular menstruation less than ten times a year, and its effects on their health. The study has two arms: intervention and control group. Female participants (n=46) were randomly assigned 1:1 to one of the two groups. Results show that the College-based LMP had positive effects on the alleviation of depression and anxiety, and improvement of sleep duration. Whereas there were no significant differences for certain variables (menstrual cycle index, sex hormone binding globulin, testosterone, free androgen index), overall premenstrual syndrome, menstrual volume, body composition parameters, and nutrient intake. Authors conclude that their findings demonstrated the importance of lifestyle modifications, which could provide ordinary young adult women with healthy menstruation. However, further studies with the use of supplements are required to address the limitations of the current study.
Abstract
Purpose: This study was conducted to develop the 'College-based Lifestyle Modification Program' (College-based LMP) for young adult women with irregular menstruation and examine its effects after intervention. Methods: The College-based LMP consisted of small group education, individual physical exercise counseling/training, individual diet counseling, and feedback and support. Participants were comprised of 38 females who reported less than 10 irregular menstruations in a year and were randomly assigned to the experimental and control groups. The primary outcome variables consisted of menstrual cycle index (MCI), sex hormone binding globulin (SHBG), and androgenic profile (testosterone-T, free androgen index-FAI), while the outcome variables included premenstrual symptoms (PMS), menstrual volume, body composition parameters, glycemic parameters (fasting blood sugar-FBS, insulin, HOMA-IR), sleep duration, perceived stress, and nutrient intake.. Results: There were no significant differences in primary outcome variables (MCI, SHBG, T, and FAI). In the variables, there were no significant differences except for the partial domain of PMS (symptoms of depression and anxiety) and sleep duration. Conclusions: The study was significant in that it demonstrated the importance of lifestyle, which could provide ordinary young adult women with healthy menstruation. The College-based LMP needs to be elaborated with further studies.
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Change in physical activity and quality of life in endometrial cancer survivors receiving a physical activity intervention.
Robertson, MC, Lyons, EJ, Song, J, Cox-Martin, M, Li, Y, Green, CE, Pinto, BM, Carmack, CL, Harrison, C, Baum, G, et al
Health and quality of life outcomes. 2019;17(1):91
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Endometrial cancer survivors suffer from high rates of obesity and physical activity-related co-morbidities that are related to cancer-specific and overall mortality. The aim of this study was to investigate how change in physical activity over time related to change in multiple, specific measures of quality of life for endometrial cancer survivors receiving a physical activity intervention. This study was a one-group, pre-post design which recruited 100 women diagnosed with stage I, II, or IIIa endometrial cancer. Each participant received a customized exercise prescription that was based on the results of baseline fitness tests. Results indicate change in physical activity was positively associated with change in SF-36 (Short Form Health Survey) subscale scores for role limitations due to physical health and general health. Furthermore, change in physical activity was negatively associated with change in pain and somatic distress. Authors conclude that increasing physical activity was positively associated with improvements in role limitation due to physical health, general health, pain, and somatic distress.
Abstract
BACKGROUND Endometrial cancer survivors are at an increased risk of poor quality of life outcomes. Physical activity is positively associated with general quality of life in this population, however, little is known about how changes in physical activity may be associated with changes in specific aspects of quality of life. The aim of this secondary data analysis was to explore the relationships between change in physical activity and change in physical, mental, social, and other aspects of quality of life in endometrial cancer survivors receiving a physical activity intervention. METHODS Endometrial cancer survivors (N = 100) participated in a telephone-based physical activity intervention for six months. At baseline and post-intervention we measured physical activity via accelerometry and ecological momentary assessment, and quality of life via the Short Form Health Survey (SF-36), the Quality of Life of Adult Cancer Survivors instrument, the Brief Symptom Inventory, the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, and the Perceived Stress Scale. We conducted structural equation modeling path analyses to investigate how physical activity post-intervention was associated with the quality of life measures' subscales post-intervention, adjusting for baseline levels and potentially confounding covariates. RESULTS Increasing physical activity was positively associated with improvements in general health (p = .044), role limitation due to physical health (p = .005), pain (p = .041), and somatic distress (p = .023). There was no evidence to indicate that change in physical activity was associated with change in other aspects of quality of life. CONCLUSIONS Endometrial cancer survivors are at higher risk for suffering from challenges to physical quality of life, and findings from this study suggest that increasing physical activity may alleviate some of these problems. Further research is needed to determine whether other aspects of quality of life are linked to change in physical activity. TRIAL REGISTRATION Trial registration number: NCT00501761 Name of registry: clinicaltrials.gov Date of registration: July 16, 2007. Date of enrollment: June 16, 2005.