Digital Health Interventions for Women in Menopause

Study

Symptoms generally appear from age 45 onwards and can last more than ten years. To varying degrees, women going through menopause may experience hot flushes, night sweats, vaginal dryness and discomfort during sex, difficulty sleeping, low mood and/or anxiety, reduced sex drive, problems with memory or concentration, headaches, palpitations, joint stiffness, aches and pains, reduced muscle mass, recurrent urinary tract infections and increased risk of developing osteoporosis.

These uncomfortable, or in some cases, debilitating, aspects of the menopausal life-phase are a concern for workforce populations dominated by women, particularly if these women decide to self-manage their discomfort or distress by reducing their work hours or retiring early.

The first stage of our international research study is focusing on one female-dominated workforce – nursing. In six different countries on both sides of the world, we are investigating registered nurses’ experiences of menopause and how it impacts their professional lives. We also want to know what kinds of support they want and whether digital health therapies or strategies would be useful.

The study is being conducted in the United Kingdom, Finland, Denmark, New Zealand, Australia and the United States of America, using focus groups to explore the experiences of working nurses and to gather their ideas about what kinds of digital health resources would best suit their needs.