Age of menopause and its correlation with gait parameters in 45-50 years old postmenopausal women: a cross-sectional study

Background: Menopause marks the permanent end of menstruation and is accompanied by declining estrogen levels, leading to changes in bone density, muscle strength, metabolism, and overall health. These changes may influence mobility. Gait, a key indicator of physical function, reflects balance, neuromuscular control, and musculoskeletal performance. While gait alterations have been reported in postmenopausal women, limited evidence exists on how the age of menopause impacts gait. Understanding this relationship may help detect early functional decline and guide physiotherapy strategies. Methods: An analytical cross-sectional study was conducted among 30 postmenopausal women aged 45–50 years using purposive sampling. Anthropometric variables and spatiotemporal gait parameters (step length, stride length, step/stride time, and walking speed) were assessed using Kinovea software and analysed using statistical package for the social sciences (SPSS) v25. Results: Among 30 postmenopausal women (mean age 48.6±1.8 years; menopause age 45.3±2.6 years), 13.3% were overweight and 56.6% obese. Mean gait values included walking speed 61.37±7.59 cm/s, step length 77–78 cm, and stride length 148–151 cm, with slightly shorter step/stride times than normative data. Age of menopause and body mass index (BMI) showed weak or negligible, but statistically insignificant, correlations with gait parameters (p>0.05). Conclusions: Age of menopause and BMI were not associated with gait parameters, and functional mobility was largely preserved despite high overweight/obesity prevalence.