Background: Menopausal women are known to experience musculoskeletal changes such as muscle atrophy, muscle weakness and osteoporosis- symptoms associated with advancing age coupled with depletion of the female sex hormone, estrogen.  Since estrogen has an important role in maintenance of the integrity of musculoskeletal system and menopausal women have the tendency to gain weight at this stage of their life, it is worth investigating if any possible association will exist among musculoskeletal symptoms and overall and central abdominal obesity in postmenopausal women (PMW).

Objective:

This study investigated prevalence of musculoskeletal pain in (PMW). It examined association of overall and central abdominal obesity with complaints of musculoskeletal pain and the screening potential of obesity measures for risk of musculoskeletal problems among PMW.

Methodology:

A cross sectional survey of PMW who were workers in government parastatals in south east local government area of Oyo-state, in Ibadan Nigeria. After receiving their informed consent, a self-developed questionnaire was administered to assess their socio-demographic characteristics. Standardized Nordic musculoskeletal questionnaire was used to assess 12-month prevalence of musculoskeletal symptoms while overall and central abdominal obesity were assessed using standardized measurement procedures including Body Mass Index (BMI), Waist Height Ratio (WHtR), Waist Circumference (WC) and Waist Hip Ratio (WHpR). Data was analysed using descriptive statistics of proportions and percentages, Chi-square and logistic regression models. Probability level was set at 0.05.

Results:

A total of 310 PMW women participated in the study, modal age group was (51-60) years, they were mostly married 262 (84.5%) and majority 220 (71%) belonged to low/middle income category. Highest prevalence of musculoskeletal symptoms were in the lower extremity 189(60.97) and the back 164 (52.9) while majority were in the overweight 117(37.7%) and obese 125 (40.36%) categories when classified according to BMI. Chi- square analysis reflects an association between categories of BMI and neck/shoulder and lower extremity symptoms (P<0.05) of participants while categories of WHtR and WC shows association with back and lower extremity symptoms (P<0.05). Analysis through logistic regression models when participants were adjusted for age reveals that obese PMW were at greatest odds of reporting musculoskeletal complaints across various classes of obesity measures. WHtR reveals greatest odds (OR=1.7, 95% CI 1.07-2.75) and OR= 2.33, 95% CI 1.44-3.78) respectively for back pain and lower extremity symptoms in participants. WHtR appears to be a better obesity screening tool for risk of musculoskeletal problems in PMW than BMI, WC and WHpR.

Conclusion:

Musculoskeletal symptoms in the back and lower extremity were most prevalent in PMW. Overall and central abdominal obesity are directly associated with musculoskeletal symptoms and WHtR is the best obesity screening tool for risk of musculoskeletal symptoms in the PMW.

Implications for Practice:

Prevention of obesity could be a very effective tool against prevention of musculoskeletal symptoms specifically, lower extremity and back pain problems in PMW. WHtR is the best obesity screening tool for musculoskeletal symptoms in PMW.