The transition to menopause is a critical period of significant biopsychosocial change. The purpose of this study was to examine the influence of the transition to menopause and volume of physical activity on levels of perceived stress over five years in 102 healthy middle-aged women. Questionnaire and accelerometer data were analyzed using linear mixed models. Adjusting for age and body mass index, there were no significant effects of menopause status or time on perceived stress. Independent of menopause status, minutes per week of vigorous activity was associated with lower perceived stress in years 1 and 2 of the study.
Keywords: exercise; menopause; physical activity; stress; well-being; women’s health.