Aerobic exercise vs no intervention |
Total | Nguyen 2020 Shorey 2020 | SMD 0.23 (95% CI -0.1 to 0.56) I² = 59%: 5 RCTs (441 participants) SMD − 0.69 (95% CI -1.09 to -0.28) I² = 0%: 2 RCTs (101 participants) | High – 1 Unclear – 4 Unclear – 1 Low − 1 |
Vasomotor | Daley 2014 Nguyen 2020 Shorey 2020 Liu 2022 | SMD − 0.10 (95% CI -0.33 to 0.13) I² = 30%: 3 RCTs (454 participants) SMD − 0.14 (95% CI-0.42 to 0.15) I² = 63%: 5 RCTs (602 participants) SMD − 0.26 (95% CI -0.70 to 0.17) I² = 76%: 4 RCTs (358 participants) Frequency SMD 0.14 (95% CI − 0.03 to 0.31) I² = 35%: 7 RCTs (940 participants) Severity SMD 0.25 (95% CI 0.04 to 0.47) I² = 72%: 11 RCTs (1425 participants) Severity index SMD 0.67 (95% CI 0.17 to 1.17) I² = 46%: 3 RCTs (127 participants) | High – 1 Unclear − 2 High – 1 Unclear − 4 Unclear – 2 Low – 2 High – 4 Unclear – 10 Low − 2 |
Psychological | Nguyen 2020 | SMD 0.56 (95% CI -0.04 to 1.15) I² = 93%: 6 RCTs (812 participants) | High – 1 Unclear − 5 |
Physical | Nguyen 2020 | SMD 0.89 (95% CI -0.11 to 1.89) I² = 97%: 5 RCTs (660 participants) | High – 1 Unclear − 4 |
Urogenital | Nguyen 2020 | SMD − 0.79 (95% CI -1.92 to 0.34) I² = 85%: 2 RCTs (204 participants) | Unclear – 2 |
Sexual | Nguyen 2020 | SMD − 0.19 (95% CI -0.43 to 0.04) I² = 36%: 4 RCTs (494 participants) | High – 1 Unclear − 3 |
Low intensity exercise vs no intervention |
Psychological | Martinez-Dominguez 2018 | SMD − 0.58 (95% CI -1.39 to 0.24) I² = 93%: 4 RCTs (460 participants) | Unclear – 2 Low − 2 |
Moderate to high intensity exercise vs no intervention |
Psychological | Martinez-Dominguez 2018 | SMD − 0.06 (95% CI -0.22 to 0.09) I² = 41%: 7 RCTs (1250 participants) | Unclear – 7 |
Short to medium term exercise vs no intervention |
Total | Shorey 2020 | SMD − 0.70 (95% CI -1.22 to -0.18) I² = 76%: 5 RCTs (282 participants) | Unclear – 3 Low – 2 |
Psychological | Martinez-Dominguez 2018 | SMD − 0.42 (95% CI -0.81 to -0.02) I² = 87%: 7 RCTs (939 participants) | Unclear – 5 Low − 2 |
Long term exercise vs no intervention |
Psychological | Martinez-Dominguez 2018 | SMD − 0.03 (95% CI -0.18 to 0.13) I² = 29%: 5 RCTs (1013 participants) | Unclear − 5 |
Yoga vs no intervention |
Total | Cramer 2018 | SMD − 1.05 (95% CI -1.57 to -0.53) I² = 88%: 8 RCTs (671 participants) | Bias not reported at primary study level. |
Vasomotor | Cramer 2018 Nguyen 2020 Shepherd-Banigan 2017 | SMD − 0.76 (95% CI -1.27 to -0.25) I² = 85%: 8 RCTs (548 participants) SMD − 0.37 (-1.15 to 0.4) I² = 82%: 3 RCTs (179 participants) SMD − 0.34 (95% CI -0.92 to 0.25) I² = 0%: 3 RCTs (204 participants) | Bias not reported at primary study level. Bias not reported at primary study level. Bias not reported at primary study level |
Psychological | Cramer 2018 Nguyen 2020 Shepherd-Banigan 2017 | SMD − 0.75 (95% CI -1.17 to – 0.34) I² = 84%: 10 RCTs (756 participants) SMD 0.76 (95% CI -0.3 to 1.81) I² = 95%: 4 RCTs (433 participants) SMD − 0.32 (95% CI -0.47 to -0.17) I² = 0%: 6 RCTs (707 participants) | Bias not reported at primary study level. High – 1 Unclear − 3 High – 4 Unclear – 1 Low − 1 |
Physical | Cramer 2018 Nguyen 2020 | SMD − 0.65 (95% CI -1.05 to -0.25) I² = 82%: 9 RCTs (718 participants) SMD 1.39 (95% CI 0.19 to 2.59) I² = 93%: 3 RCTs (333 participants) | Bias not reported at primary study level. Unclear − 3 |
Urogenital | Cramer 2018 | SMD − 0.53 (95% CI -0.81 to -0.25) I² = 61%: 7 RCTs (661 participants) | Bias not reported at primary study level. |
Sexual | Nguyen 2020 | SMD − 0.36 (95% CI -1.18 to 0.46) I² = 81%: 2 RCTs (150 participants) | Unclear – 2 |
Mind-body therapies vs no intervention |
Total | Shorey 2020 | SMD − 1.51 (95% CI -2.64 to -0.37) I² = 78%: 2 RCTs (92 participants) | Unclear – 1 Low – 1 |
Resistance training vs no intervention |
Total | Shorey 2020 | SMD − 0.67 (95% CI -1.51 to 0.18) I² = not reported: 1 RCT (23 participants) | Unclear − 1 |
Pelvic floor training vs no intervention |
Total | Nguyen 2020 | SMD 0.76 (95% CI -0.4 to 1.92) I² = 78%: 2 RCTs (59 participants) | Unclear − 2 |
Aerobic exercise vs yoga |
Total | Cramer 2018 | SMD − 0.21 (95% CI -0.66 to 0.25) I² = 77%: 4 RCTs (386 participants) | Bias not reported at primary study level. |
Vasomotor | Cramer 2018 Daley 2014 Shepherd-Banigan 2017 Liu 2022 | SMD − 0.45 (95% CI -0.87 to -0.04) I² = 72%: 3 RCTs (373 participants) SMD − 0.03 (95% CI -0.45 to 0.38) I² = 61%: 2 RCTs (279 participants) 2 RCTs which were not combined. SMD − 0.40 (95% CI -0.78 to -0.02) I² = Not reported: 1 RCT (108 participants) SMD − 0.15 (95% CI -0.41 to 0.11) I² = Not reported: 1 RCT (233 participants) SMD 0.15 (95% CI − 0.06 to 0.35) I² = 13%: 3 RCTs (432 participants) | Bias not reported at primary study level. High – 1 Unclear − 1 High – 1 Unclear − 1 High – 1 Unclear – 1 Low − 1 |
Psychological | Cramer 2018 | SMD − 0.09 (95% CI -0.47 to 0.28) I² = 76%: 5 RCTs (526 participants) | Bias not reported at primary study level. |
Physical | Cramer 2018 | SMD − 0.15 (95% CI -0.55 to 0.26) I² = 79%: 4 RCTs (483 participants) | Bias not reported at primary study level. |
Urogenital | Cramer 2018 | SMD − 0.12 (95% CI -0.53 to 0.3) I² = 74%: 3 RCTs (376 participants) | Bias not reported at primary study level. |
Aerobic exercise vs resistance training |
Vasomotor | Sa 2022 | MD − 2.60 (95% CI − 9.01 to 3.81) I² = not reported: 1 RCT (36 participants) | High – 1 |
Physical | Sa 2022 | MD -5.90 (95% CI -16.17 to 4.37) I² = not reported: 1 RCT (36 participants) | High – 1 |
Psychological | Sa 2022 | MD − 2.90 (95% CI − 8.24 to 2.44) I² = not reported: 1 RCT (36 participants) | High – 1 |
Sexual | Sa 2022 | MD 0.40 (95% CI − 4.37 to 5.17) I² = not reported: 1 RCT (36 participants) | High – 1 |