Tabriz University of Medical Sciences Health Promotion Perspectives 2228-6497 10 4 2020 11 07 An Interventional strategy of physical activity promotion for reduction of menopause symptoms 383 392 10.34172/hpp.2020.57 EN Zeinab Javadivala https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0231-8189 Hamid Allahverdipour https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3700-6185 Mohammad Asghari Jafarabadi https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3284-9749 Azita Emami Journal Article 10.34172/hpp.2020.57 2020 08 19 2020 10 10 Background: Physical activity (PA) programs are inexpensive, non-pharmaceutical and universally accessible options with demonstrated efficacy in reducing menopausal symptoms. The purpose of this study was to determine the effectiveness of a behavioral strategy for initiating and sustaining PA with the hope to reduce or eliminate menopausal symptoms. Methods: Menopausal and perimenopausal women (n=190) were randomly assigned to intervention (n=95) and non-intervention (n=95) groups using a random-numbers table. The intervention group consisted of 18 neighborhood network subgroups, each consisting of five to six women known to one another. They participated in a 12-week regular PA program, augmented by eight interactive group education and discussion sessions. The Menopause Rating Scale (MRS) self-report instrument was used to determine perceived severity of menopausal symptoms. Results: The intervention group showed a significant reduction in the frequency and severity of menopausal symptoms (P < 0.001). Those whose symptoms rated severe/very severe for hot flushes were reduced from 30.1% to 11.8%. Also, participants whose sleep problems and joint discomfort rated severe/very severe declined from 28% to 6.5% and joint discomfort rated severe or very severe was reduced from 52.7% to 4.4%, respectively. Conversely in the nonintervention group, hot flushes, sleep problems and joint problems got significantly worse(P < 0.05). Conclusion: Implementing educational program that increases awareness of PA benefits in combination with existing neighborhood networks that facilitate communication and cooperation may increase PA levels and decrease menopausal symptoms. Such networks offer alow-cost means of improving quality of life (QOL) for perimenopausal and menopausal women.