Mediating effect of menopausal symptoms between the lifestyle and depressive symptoms.

Purpose: This study aimed to explore relationship between lifestyle and depressive symptoms and evaluated the mediating effect of menopausal symptoms.

Methods: This was a secondary analysis of a survey in Hunan Province, China. We selected 3190 women aged 40 to 55 into final analyses. Menopausal and depressive symptoms were assessed by the Kupperman Menopausal Index and the 9-item Patient Health Questionnaire, respectively. A self-administered questionnaire was used to collect demographic and lifestyle information.

Results: The prevalence of depressive symptoms was 19.5%. After adjusting for demographic variables, passive smoking, drinking, and intensity of physical activity were positively associated with depressive symptoms. Frequency of exercise was a protective factor for depressive symptoms (AOR = 0.783, 95%CI: 0.446-0.991). Excess or restricted sleep duration was associated with higher probability of having depressive symptoms (AOR = 1.746, 95% CI: 1.324-2.304). Menopausal symptoms partially mediated the relationship between lifestyle and depressive symptoms.

Conclusion: Findings highlighted the importance of menopausal symptoms in the relationship between the lifestyle and depressive symptoms, and provided a possibility that active lifestyle might improve depression symptoms among women at perimenopause through changes in sex hormones.