Title: The Relationship Between Physical Activity and the Severity of Menopausal Symptoms:
A Cross-Sectional Study
Version: 0 Date: 01 Feb 2023
Reviewer:  Narjes Bahri
Reviewer's report:
Dear authors
Thanks for your valuable work and considering an important issue on menopausal health. I read
your manuscript carefully and recommend some revisions.  I hope my comment help you to
improve your paper.
Title:
1-Regarding your research method the title would be changed and the word “effect” be replaced
with “relation”.
Abstract:
2-Please mention the p-values in Result section.
3-In line 33: “thereby increasing the quality of life.” This claim is not related to your finding,
please delete it.
4- Please re-insert your keyword based on MeSH database.
Introduction:
5-In the first paragraph state about the number of menopausal women around the world as well
as China.
6-In line 68-69:” Because about half of the world’s population will experience menopause”. Is
it correct estimation? Please check it.
7-In line 73: The abbreviation PA is not routine; I suggest to use the complete terms in the whole
of text.
8-In line 74: Also, physical activity improves the quality of life during menopausal transition.
You may find useful following paper and other similar papers.
Yoshany N, Morowatisharifabad MA, Sharma M, Jambarsang S, Bahri N, Sadeghi R, Hanna F.
Predictors of regular physical activity behavior and quality of life in post-menopausal Iranian
women based on the multi-theory model. Journal of Medicine and Life, 2022 March 15(3):
408-414 doi: 10.25122/jml-2021-0073.
9- In line 83: It is recommended that provide more research evidence about the verity in
menopausal symptoms in different ethnicity and cultures.
10- Line 85-94: It is better the explanations about random forest move to Method section.
11-The contents of line 97 to 106 is not necessary. Please delete it.
12- Please move the lines 103-106 to the Method section.
Method:
13- In Overall, it is suggested to write the Method section based on STROB checklist for cross-
sectional studies.
14- Line 118: Please provide the exact illness which you considered.
15- Please explain in detail how you estimate the sample size? Which formula was used?
16- Please mention that regarding online survey, how did get informed consent?
17- line136: please point to the reference number for categorizing BMI.
18- Line 138-143: It is better this paragraph (menopausal status) insert without the subtitle.
19- I strongly recommend using complete words for all abbreviations.
20- Please explain about the reliability of two questionnaires (modified Kupperman Menopausal
Index and International Physical Activity Questionnaire short form) in Chinese women.
21- Please add a subtitle: Data collection. In this paragraph explain about the processes of
sampling and data collection
Result:
22- The number of tables is too much. You can emerge the related tables or report some findings
in text.
23-Please avoid to report the same finding in various ways i.e. report in text , table and figures.
Discussion:
24- It is better to use the phrase “online survey” instead “internet survey” in the whole of the text.
25-Line 726: Please replace the words “the effect” with “the relation”.
26- In overall, it is recommend that start Discussion with main objective: The relation between
physical activity and menopausal symptoms.
27- In page 2 of discussion you pointed some studies that are about the effect of exercise on
various organs. Please provide some research evidences about the mechanisms of the exercise
on menopausal symptoms.
28- The reference number 36 is irrelevant. Please replace it.
Conclusion:
29- Please provide the clinical implications based of your finding in the end of this paragraph.
References:
30- The number of references is too much. Please emerge the related references to reduce them.