Kyphosis in active and sedentary postmenopausal women.

UNLABELLED: EAGAN, M. S., and D. A. SEDLOCK. Kyphosis in active and sedentary postmenopausal women. Med. Sci. Sports Exerc., Vol. 33, No. 5, 2001, pp. 688-695.

PURPOSE: This study examined kyphosis in relation to self-reported activity level (sedentary, active) and activity type (weight-bearing land, nonweight-bearing water) in 61 postmenopausal women aged 60-78 yr.

METHODS

Specifically, we measured kyphosis, muscle strength (defined as back extensor (BES) and grip (GS) strength), total calcium intake, body fat, height lost since age 30 (HtLost), current activity level for household, leisure and sport activities and their total, as well as occupational and physical activity history and their total.

RESULTS

No significant differences (P > 0.05) were found for any variables when subjects were divided into sedentary (N = 18), land (N = 29), and water (N = 14) groups; exercisers (N = 43) and nonexercisers (N = 18); or between the top and bottom tertiles of lifetime active (N = 20) and inactive (N = 20) women. Stepwise multiple regression yielded body fat as the single best predictor of kyphosis accounting for 6.9% of the total variance (P < 0.04) with the resulting equation: kyphosis (degrees) = 22.919 + 0.627*body fat (%) + 0.852*HtLost (cm) + 2.881E-0.03*total calcium intake (mg) (r2 = 0.22, SEE = 7.7). Significant relationships (P < 0.05) included kyphosis with body fat (r = 0.26) and HtLost with age (r = 0.50). Relationships (P < 0.05) regarding muscle strength included: GS and BES with age (r = -0.38, -0.30), HtLost (r = -0.39, -0.36), and occupational activity history (r = 0.28, 0.35), as well as BES with household activity and total activity history (r = 0.28, 0.30). Physical activity history was related (P < 0.05) to current sport, leisure, and total activity history (r = 0.37, 0.42, 0.93, respectively).

CONCLUSION

Women who are active when younger seem to be active and stronger as older adults. However, this does not seem to impact kyphosis. The measured variables accounted for a small proportion of kyphosis variance, suggesting that more potent causative factors of this spinal malformation exist.