Objective To investigate the relationship between serum adiponectin levels and body composition of perimenopausal and postmenopausal women in central and western Gansu province，and explore the influencing factors of adiponectin levels.  Methods The body weight, body mass index（BMI）,waist-to-hip, fat mass, percentage of body fat, visceral fat mass and muscle mass of 638 women（317 in perimenopausal period and 321 in postmenopausal period）in central and western Gansu were measured by bioelectrical impedance analyzer. Enzyme linked immunosorbent assay （ELISA）was used to measure serum adiponectin levels. Pearson correlation analysis and multiple liner regression were used to investigate the relationship between adiponectin levels and body composition.   Results The body muscle mass of women living in central and western Gansu province showed a downward trend after menopause period compared to those who were in perimenopause. The waist circumference, waist-hip ratio, percentage of body fat, visceral fat mass of postmenopauseal women showed an increasing trend compared to perimenopausal. There were no significant differences in BMI, fat mass and serum adiponectin levels. Overall, serum adiponectin levels were positively correlated with body fat percentage and visceral fat mass, and negatively correlated with muscle mass, and the main influencing factors of serum adiponectin levels were visceral fat mass.  Conclusion The main influencing factors of serum adiponectin levels in perimenopausal and postmenopausal women living in central and western Gansu province are the visceral fat mass.