Comparison of the Effects of Licorice and Aerobic Exercise on the Quality of Life of Postmenopausal Women

Introduction: Menopause is accompanied by many physical and psychological symptoms that can affect the Quality of Life (QoL) of women. Nowadays, behavioral approaches, such as exercise programs, and herbal therapies are recommended to control menopause complications.  Objective: This study aimed to compare the effects of exercise and licorice on the QoL of postmenopausal women. Materials and Methods: This quasi-experimental study was conducted in Arak City, Iran, in 2014. Sixty postmenopausal women were selected as study participants using the convenience sampling method and were divided into two equal groups (exercise and licorice) using a random number table. The licorice group received three tablets of licorice daily at three times, i.e., in the morning, noon, and night before meals, for 4 weeks; the exercise group adopted a regular walking program comprising 30-45 min of walking three times a week for 1 month. The QoL of the participants before and 1 month after the intervention was evaluated using the Menopause-Specific Quality of Life questionnaire. The obtained data were analyzed using the independent t-test, Wilcoxon signed-rank test, one-way analysis of variance, and Mann-Whitney U test. Results: The two groups were matched in term of demographic characteristics. The Mann-Whitney U test revealed no significant difference in the QoL between the two groups before and after the intervention. However, the mean and standard deviation of the QoL in both groups was higher after the intervention than the values before the intervention. Conclusion: Licorice and aerobic exercise are effective in controlling menopause complications and improving the QoL. Therefore, these interventions should be adopted to improve the QoL of postmenopausal women.