BackgroundThe high prevalence of women that do not reach the recommended level of physical activity is worrisome. A sedentary lifestyle has negative consequences on health status and increases health care costs. The main objective of this project is to assess the cost-effectiveness of a primary care-based exercise intervention in perimenopausal women.Methods/DesignThe present study is a Randomized Controlled Trial.A total of 150 eligible women will be recruited and randomly assigned to either a 16-week exercise intervention (3 sessions/week), or to usual care (control) group.The primary outcome measure is the incremental cost-effectiveness ratio. The secondary outcome measures are: i) socio-demographic and clinical information; ii) body composition; iii) dietary patterns; iv) glycaemic and lipid profile; v) physical fitness; vi) physical activity and sedentary behaviour; vii) sleep quality; viii) quality of life, mental health and positive health; ix) menopause symptoms. All outcomes will be assessed at baseline and post intervention. The data will be analysed on an intention-to-treat basis and per protocol. In addition, we will conduct a cost effectiveness analysis from a health system perspective.DiscussionThe intervention designed is feasible and if it proves to be clinically and cost effective, it can be easily transferred to other similar contexts. Consequently, the findings of this project might help the Health Systems to identify strategies for primary prevention and health promotion as well as to reduce health care requirements and costs.Trial registrationClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT02358109. Date of registration: 05/02/2015

Objective. Menopause is characterized by the presence of emotional instability and greater dissatisfaction with life. Therefore, we aimed to analyze the effects of an exercise intervention on quality of life and optimism in perimenopausal women.Method. Fourteen perimenopausal women (54.1 ± 3.2 years) participated in a 9 weeks (60 minutes/session, 3 days/week) moderate-vigorous intensity (12-16 rating of perceived effort) exercise intervention (aerobic and resistance exercise mainly).Health-related quality of life and general optimism and pessimism were evaluated by means of the Short-Form Health Survey (SF-36) and the Revised Life Orientation Test, respectively. Nonparametric Wilcoxon signed ranks test for paired samples was used.Results. The exercise program improved physical function by 12% (P < 0.05) and emotional role by 18% (P = 0.05). No statistically significant differences were found for the remaining SF-36 dimensions. After the exercise intervention participants' general optimism improved 21% (P < 0.05).Conclusion. An exercise intervention program is successful by improving the physical functioning and general optimism of perimenopausal women. Because of the small sample size, the results must be taken cautiously. Future studies with greater sample sizes should confirm the present results.http://dx.Objective. The purpose of this pilot study was to determine (a) the effects of high intensity strength training at workplace on blood pressure, fat percentage and physical fitness in overweight adults, and (b) the influence of this intervention on the blood pressure in a subsample of hypertensive subjects.Methods. Overweight adults (n = 15) aged 42,8 years underwent anthropometric assessment (weight, fat percentage, waist circumference, and triceps skinfold), physical fitness assessment (leg extensor power, upper body endurance, hand grip strength and Vo2max) and blood pressure assessment before and after 8 weeks of high intensity resistance training at workplace. Each training session consist of 16 sets of 45 repetitions performed at 1 repetition per second decreasing load at muscular failure starting at 60% of repetition maximum (RM).Results. Weight, body fat percentage, and triceps skinfold decreased significantly with the high intensity resistance training protocol at workplace (all p < 0.05). Performance in physical fitness tests increased significantly with training (all p < 0.05), except for handgrip strength. Both systolic and diastolic blood pressure decreased significantly with R-HIRT at workplace (all p < 0.05) in hypertensive subjects.Conclusion. This protocol performed at workplace in this pilot study produces health and fitness benefits in overweight and hypertensive people.http://dx. Objective.The purpose of the current study was to determine the effects of an exercise intervention on fatigue and sleep quality in perimenopausal women.Methods. Fourteen Spanish (54 ± 3) perimenopausal women from a health centre of Granada were enrolled to participate in a 9 weeks (60 minutes/session, 3 sessions/we...

Objetivo. Evaluar los cambios en la composición corporal entre hombres y mujeres con sobrepeso y obesidad, 3 años después de finalizar la intervención de pérdida de peso de 6 meses.Método. Noventa y ocho sujetos (49 hombres) del proyecto PRONAF participaron voluntariamente en el estudio 3 años después de la intervención del mismo. Durante los 6 meses de intervención, todos siguieron una restricción calórica del 25-30% del gasto energético total diario, y siguieron un programa de entrenamiento o recomendaciones de la ACSM para la pérdida de peso, sin encontrarse diferencias entre los grupos al final de la intervención. Durante los tres años posteriores a la intervención, se pidió a los sujetos que informaran vía e-mail o telefónica de su peso y hábitos dietéticos y de actividad física cada 6 meses. A los tres años, se les evaluó de nuevo la composición corporal a través de absorciometría dual de rayos X. Se utilizó un análisis de la varianza para comparar los cambios 3 años-post en la composición corporal entre hombres y mujeres para cada una de las variables estudiadas (peso, % grasa, grasa en kg, y masa libre de grasa), con la edad y el valor de cada variable en post-intervención como covariables. Valores de p < 0.05 fueron considerados como significativos estadísticamente.Resultados. Se encontraron diferencias significativas en los cambios del porcentaje de grasa (2.1 ± 0.9% y 6.2 ± 0.9%) y de la masa libre de grasa (1.5 ± 0.5 kg y -1.5 ± 0.5), entre hombres y mujeres, respectivamente. Sin embargo, no se encontraron diferencias para las variables de peso corporal y masa grasa en kg (p > 0.05).Conclusión. Las mujeres recuperaron un 4.1% más de grasa que los hombres, mientras que perdieron la misma masa libre de grasa que los hombres ganaron (1.5 kg).

Objectives. To examine the validity of self-reported flexibility with International Fitness Scale (IFIS) against upper and lower flexibility in fibromyalgia and healthy women. To study the testretest reliability of the IFIS flexibility item in female fibromyalgia patients.Methods. For validity purpose, the final sample comprised 413 fibromyalgia and 195 control women. For the test-retest (one-week interval) reliability purpose, 101 fibromyalgia women participated. Flexibility level was both self-reported (i.e. IFIS) and performancebased using standard fitness tests (i.e. "chair sit and reach" and "back scratch"). One-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used to examine the associations of self-reported flexibility (very poor, poor, average and good/very good) and performance-based flexibility. Post hoc group comparisons were used to assess the differences across categories of self-reported fitness. The testretest reliability of the IFIS was tested with weighted Kappa (k) coefficients.Results. Fibromyalgia women reporting a "poor", "average" or "good/very good" flexibility on IFIS had better performance-based test results on flexibility compared with those reporting "very poor" flexibility level (all p < 0.05). Likewise, control women reporting a "good/very good" flexibility on IFIS obtained better performancebased test results on flexibility compared with those reporting "average", "poor" or "very poor" flexibility level (all p < 0.05). The weighted Kappa was 0.63 which represent a substantial test-retest agreement.Conclusions. The IFIS is a moderately valid and reliable tool for ranking fibromyalgia patients and controls according to their flexibility level. These results extend the current knowledge on the validity and reliability of the IFIS to measure flexibility in diverse populations.http://dx.Correo electrónico: virginiaparicio@ugr.es (V.A. Aparicio).