p120: the relationship between anxiety and self efficacy in active and inactive postmenopausal women

menopause is one of the steps in women’s life which is accompanied by reducing physical and psychological abilities. because estrogen and other hormonal influences during menopause affect the brain's regulation of mood, hormonal changes can cause some women to experience anxiety during menopause. anxiety is a psychological state characterized by excessive and persistent worry, tension and nervousness. exercise and movement is one of the most effective ways to prevent menopause disorders and postpones aging processes. the women who exercise have better health and vitality. accordance with importance of life quality in these ages, this study investigates the relationship between self-efficacy and anxiety between active and inactive postmenopausal women. the research method was descriptive. statistical population was the postmenopausal women who attended in isfahan parks to exercise, as well as ones who attended to spend leisure time without any activity. convenience sampling was used to select 170 women as statistical sample. personal information and activity experiences interviews, self-efficacy scale (sherer et al. 1982) and depression, anxiety, stress scale (dass-21) (short version of the scales) were used. the data were analyzed by spss-15 software, t-test and pearson correlation test. the results showed that self-efficacy and anxiety between active and inactive postmenopausal women are significantly different, and active women compared with inactive ones have more self-efficacy and less anxiety. also there was a negative and significant relationship between self-efficacy and anxiety. according to these results, exercise and physical activity can help postmenopausal women to reduce anxiety. another important finding was that exercise can help women to increase self-efficacy in their lives. other researches on anxiety and exercise show that the psychological and physical benefits of exercise can also help reduce anxiety and improve mood.