The relationship between social support and health-promoting lifestyles among perimenopausal women: the mediating role of psychological resilience

TL;DR

This study shows that social support and psychological resilience help perimenopausal women adopt healthier lifestyles, with resilience acting as a key mediator.

Contribution

The study identifies psychological resilience as a mediator between social support and health-promoting behaviors in perimenopausal women.

Findings

Social support and psychological resilience significantly predict healthier lifestyles in perimenopausal women.

Psychological resilience mediates 61.32% of the relationship between social support and health behaviors.

Regular medical check-ups and absence of chronic diseases also correlate with better health-promoting lifestyles.

Abstract

Perimenopause presents considerable physical and psychological challenges. Adopting a healthy lifestyle is crucial for navigating this transition. While social support and psychological resilience are known to be related to health behaviours, their interrelationships among perimenopausal women remain unclear.

This cross-sectional study enrolled 366 perimenopausal women from a health management centre in Southwest China between February and June 2023 using a convenience sampling method. Data were collected via a structured questionnaire comprising several sections: the demographic characteristics questionnaire, the Chinese version of the Health-Promoting Lifestyle Profile, the Social Support Rating Scale, and the Chinese version of the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale. Following data entry in Excel 2016, statistical analyses, including descriptive statistics, correlation analysis, and multivariate regression, were conducted using SPSS 26.0. Structural equation modelling was performed with AMOS 24.0 to test the hypothesized pathways among variables. The significance level was set at α = 0.05, and model fit was evaluated using established goodness-of-fit indices.

The mean health-promoting lifestyle profile score was 98.01 (SD = 18.60). Multiple linear regression revealed several significant factors: menopausal status (β = 3.228, P = 0.033), the presence of chronic diseases (β = -4.761, P = 0.012), having regular medical examinations (β = 6.275, P < 0.001), social support (β = 0.358, P < 0.001), and psychological resilience (β = 0.567, P < 0.001). The SEM results further suggested that the association between social support and a healthy lifestyle was consistent with an intermediary role for psychological resilience. The indirect association was significant (95% bootstrap CI: 0.495–0.929), accounting for 61.32% of the total association.

Social support is directly associated with healthier lifestyles among perimenopausal women, and psychological resilience appears to play an important intermediary role. Strengthening both social support and psychological resilience may help promote better health behaviours in this population. Health care professionals should consider integrating these elements into tailored perimenopausal health programs.

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