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Updated: Feb 27, 2026
Assessment of Physical Activity Intensity with Accelerometers and Oxygen Consumption
Published on: June 20, 2025
Associations Between Quality of Life, Functional Fitness, Body Composition, and Accelerometer-Measured Physical
André Schneider1,2,3, Flavio Teresinho Mendonça1,2, Letícia Amaral4
1Department of Sports Sciences, Instituto Politécnico de Bragança, 5300-253 Bragança, Portugal.
Introduction:
Postmenopausal aging is accompanied by declines in functional fitness, changes in body composition, and increased osteoporosis risk, which may affect quality of life. Understanding how these factors interrelate is important for supporting healthy aging.
Objective:
To examine the associations between accelerometer-measured physical activity, functional fitness, DEXA-derived body composition and bone parameters, and quality of life in postmenopausal women.
Methods:
Forty community-dwelling postmenopausal women (68.7 ± 5.7 years) participated in this cross-sectional study. Physical activity was assessed using a wrist-worn accelerometer for seven days. Body composition and bone health were measured by DEXA, functional fitness by the Senior Fitness Test, and quality of life by the WHOQOL-BREF. Spearman correlations were applied.
Results:
Associations were predominantly weak to moderate. Higher-intensity physical activity showed the strongest association with the Physical Health domain of quality of life (ρ ≈ 0.29). Total bone mineral density was also positively associated with perceived physical health (ρ ≈ 0.36). Adiposity was inversely related to light and lifestyle activity.
Conclusion:
Physical activity, functional fitness, body composition, and perceived physical health co-occur in postmenopausal women, supporting the relevance of promoting active lifestyles in this population.
