The Relationship between Physical Activity and General Health among Menopausal Women in Ahvaz, Iran.

INTRODUCTION: Most women experience significant changes in their general health status during menopause, which negatively affects their quality of life. Physical activity has also been shown to enhance quality of life. However, little is known about the effect of physical activity on women's health during the menopausal transition. This study aimed to determine the relationship between physical activity and general health among menopausal women in Ahvaz, Iran. METHODS: This cross sectional study was carried out on 600 menopausal women using cluster random sampling during 2013-2014. Data collection tools were three questionnaires; women's demographic characteristics, the Goldenberg's questionnaire, and International physical activity questionnaire (IPAQ). Data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics through SPSS version 19. The statistical tests were performed at the 95% confidence interval. RESULTS: There was a significant relationship between the total score of physical activity and physical health, social functioning, anxiety and depression (p<0.05), but no significant relationship was found between subscales related to physical activity and general health (p>0.05). CONCLUSION: Physical activity is effective in improving general health in menopausal women. Proper training and effective interventions for regular physical activity can be important steps to promote the general health of menopausal women.

The Relationship Between Factors Related to Divorce Request and Mental Health Among Divorce Applicant Women Referred to Legal Medicine Organization in Ahvaz, Iran.

Objective: This study aimed to investigate the relationship between factors related to divorce request with mental health among divorce applicant women in order to understand the effect of these factors on women's mental health. Materials and methods: This study was a cross-sectional study performed on 434 divorce applicant women who referred to legal medicine department of Ahvaz in 2013 based on convenience sampling. Information was collected by using researcher made questionnaire for factors affecting divorce and symptom checklist-25 (SCL-25) standard questionnaire. The data were analyzed using SPSS ver.18. Results: The results showed that among the social factors, life skills and communication, family and individual factors had a significant relationship with mental health among divorce applicant women (p < 0.05). No relationship was seen with economic and cultural factors affecting divorce request (p > 0.05). Conclusion: Regarding the negative effects of various causative factors of divorce on mental health of women including social, life skills, communication, family and individual factors strategies for prevention and reduction of these factors should be seriously considered for prevention and early treatment of mental health problems. These strategies include counseling before marriage, after marriage and during the divorce process.