Regular physical activity is associated with lower odds of bodily pain in midlife women
OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the association between regular physical activity and bodily pain domain of the SF-36 in midlife women, considering pharmacological and physical factors. METHODS: This cross-sectional study included 3,523 women aged 40 to 60 years. Participants reported whether they had generalized body pain, physical activity, menopause status, menopause hormone therapy (MHT) use, psychotropic medication use, and comorbidities. Multivariable logistic regression was used to identify independent predictors of bodily pain. RESULTS: Women reporting regular physical activity (n=1806; 56.3%) had 34% lower odds of bodily pain (OR 0.66; 95% CI: 0.58-0.76), independent of BMI, menopause status, psychotropic drug use, and comorbidities. MHT use showed an even stronger association (OR 0.50; 95% CI: 0.41-0.61). Conversely, obesity (OR 1.61; 95% CI: 1.36-1.92), postmenopause status (OR 1.45; 95% CI: 1.26-1.68), psychotropic drug use (OR 1.45; 95% CI: 1.24-1.70), and comorbidities (OR 1.52; 95% CI: 1.31-1.77) were associated with increased pain risk. CONCLUSIONS: Regular physical activity is independently associated with lower odds of bodily pain in midlife women. Exercise programs, in combination with MHT, may contribute to optimizing pain management in this population and warrant further prospective investigation.
Authors
- Maribel Dextre
- Karen Díaz
- Eliana Ojeda (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6606-3029)
- Marcela López
- Alejandra Martínez (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8484-8126)
- Lida Sosa
- María Teresa Espinoza (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4222-9511)
- Doris Rodríguez-Vidal (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9012-8360)
- Claudia Rey (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0853-300X)
- Carlos Salinas (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5106-8724)
- Gustavo Gómez-Tabares
- Mónica Ñañez (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0202-6162)
- Konstantinos Tserotas (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9004-0078)
- Alejandra Elizalde-Cremonte (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2077-6901)
- Andrés Calle
- Santiago Elizalde-Cremonte
- Ircania García
- Paolo Meza
- Eugenio Arteaga
- Marcela S. Aguirre
- Javier Saavedra
- Carlos Escalante
- Ascanio Bencosme
- Hugo Gutiérrez-Crespo
- Ana Lucia Ribeiro Valadares
- María Soledad Vallejos
- Álvaro Monterrosa-Castro
- Lucia Costa-Paiva
- Félix Ayala
- Juan Enrique Blümel
- Margot Acuña-San Martín
- Juan Matzumura-Kasano
- Marcio A. Rodrigues
Institutions
- Universidad de Santiago de Chile (CL)
- Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais (BR)
- Universidad de La Frontera (CL)
- International Potato Center (PE)
- University of Cartagena (CO)
- Universidad Autónoma de Santo Domingo (DO)
- Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile (CL)
- Universidad Nacional de Córdoba (AR)
- Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP) (BR)
- National University of San Marcos (PE)
- Universidad de Buenos Aires (AR)
- Clínica Alemana (CL)
- National University of the Northeast (AR)
- Universidad Mayor de San Simón (BO)
- Universidad de Costa Rica (CR)
- Hospital Nacional Cayetano Heredia (PE)
- Universidad de Las Américas (EC)
- Hospital de Clínicas "José de San Martín" (AR)
- Hospital Clínico de la Universidad de Chile (CL)
- Ministerio de Salud Pública y Bienestar Social (PY)
- Universidad Andina del Cusco (PE)
- Centro de Investigación en Salud Dr. Hugo Mendoza (DO)
- IPS Central (PY)
- University of Chile (CL)
- Universidad del Valle (CO)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Menopause The Journal of The North American Menopause Society
- Published
- 2026-10-13
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1097/gme.0000000000002895
- Primary Topic
- Physical Activity and Health
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 0.00