Abstract
Background
Menopause is accompanied by a considerable symptom burden, and although body mass index (BMI) is commonly used to assess its association with menopausal symptoms, BMI does not capture central fat distribution. The Body Roundness Index (BRI) and A Body Shape Index (ABSI) specifically reflect central adiposity. This study aimed to investigate the associations of BRI and ABSI with menopausal symptom severity in perimenopausal and menopausal women, and to compare these indices with BMI.Methods
This cross-sectional study included 638 women aged 44-56 years (319 perimenopausal, 319 menopausal) recruited from a gynaecology outpatient clinic. Menopausal symptom burden was assessed using the Menopause-Specific Quality of Life Scale (MENQOL), and physical activity was evaluated with the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ). BMI, BRI, and ABSI were calculated from anthropometric measurements. Kruskal-Wallis test, Spearman correlation analysis, and crude and adjusted multiple linear regression models were used for statistical analysis.Results
All three indices showed significant positive associations with total MENQOL scores. In Spearman correlation analysis, ABSI demonstrated the strongest correlation with total symptom burden (r = 0.677, p Conclusions
BRI and ABSI were independently and significantly associated with menopausal symptom burden, with ABSI showing the strongest correlation. Central adiposity indices may add clinically relevant information beyond BMI in menopausal women, and prospective studies are needed to clarify causality.