Physical Activity to Reduce Frailty among Postmenopausal Women

Frailty, a common concern post-menopause, can significantly impact a woman's quality of life. This study explores how a structured physical activity regimen can reduce frailty among postmenopausal women. It also evaluates the adherence rates to such a regimen, aiming to balance effectiveness and resource efficiency.

Methods: A Two-Phase Approach

The study involved 252 community-dwelling postmenopausal women, divided into two groups: a Physical Activity Group (PAG) and a Usual Activity Group (UAG). Each group consisted of 126 women who self-assigned to their respective study arms. The intervention spanned 48 weeks, divided into two distinct phases:

1. Supervised Phase (12 weeks): Conducted by a health professional.

2. Peer-Supervised Phase (36 weeks): Managed by the participants themselves, with support facilitated through social networking via smartphones.

Participants in the PAG engaged in group physical activities twice a week, while the UAG continued their usual activities. Both groups were assessed for frailty status at the beginning and end of the study.

Key Results

The study revealed notable improvements in the PAG compared to the UAG:

• Frailty Status Improvement: 60.2% of women in the PAG showed improvement, compared to 42.6% in the UAG.

• Frailty Reversal Rate: The transition from prefrail to robust was significantly higher in the PAG (34.04%) than in the UAG (8.00%).

• Odds of Improvement: Women in the PAG were significantly more likely to improve their frailty phenotype (OR, 9.12; 95% CI, 3.45-31.52; P < 0.001).

Adherence Rates

Adherence, defined as attending at least 75% of the sessions, was achieved by 56.35% of women in the PAG over the 48 weeks. The peer-supervised phase demonstrated the potential for sustainability, suggesting that mutual support and group cohesion facilitated through smartphone networking can maintain engagement in physical activity.