HER-BC: Health and Economics Research on Midlife Women in British Columbia - British Columbia's First-Ever Menopause Study Uncovers Critical Challenges for Midlife Women
A groundbreaking study on midlife women in British Columbia reveals the significant health, work, and care challenges posed by menopause, offering recommendations for enhanced health care support and workplace policies.
VANCOUVER, BC, Nov. 1, 2024 /CNW/ - A study released today by the Women's Health Research Institute (WHRI), in collaboration with the BC Women's Health Foundation and Pacific Blue Cross, has revealed that for the first time critical insights into the physical, mental, social, and economic impacts of menopause symptoms for midlife women in British Columbia. Titled HER-BC: Health and Economics Research on Midlife Women in British Columbia, this first-ever provincial study explores perimenopause, menopause and post-menopause, clearly highlighting the impact this life stage has on those experiencing it.
A groundbreaking study on midlife women in British Columbia reveals the significant health, work, and care challenges posed by menopause, offering recommendations for enhanced health care support and workplace policies. (CNW Group/Pacific Blue Cross)
Pacific Blue Cross logo (CNW Group/Pacific Blue Cross)
BC Women’s Health Foundation (CNW Group/Pacific Blue Cross)
WHRI logo (CNW Group/Pacific Blue Cross)
The study surveyed over 2,000 people aged 39 to 60 from across the province and conducted in-depth interviews of a subset, highlighting opportunities for more inclusive health care, improved workplace support, and further research for the 875,000 women aged 40 to 65 in British Columbia. The study explored health concerns, quality of life during menopause, work and caregiving responsibilities, and barriers to accessing health care services, revealing that 92 per cent of respondents experience moderate to extremely severe menopause symptoms.
Key Findings:
Workplace Impact: A third of respondents (32%) said menopause symptoms affect their job in some way, while a quarter of respondents (24%) reported missing days of work in the last 12 months due to menopause symptoms. Almost one in 10 (9.4%) had to turn down a job promotion or career advancement due to menopause symptoms, and some respondents even reported being fired.
Health Care Gaps: 43.5% of participants sought care from extended health care providers such as naturopaths and mental health professionals. On average, participants spent almost $900 out-of-pocket on these services annually. Those with private health coverage were much more likely to access extended health care services, with fewer out-of-pocket costs. Three quarters of those who used these services reported improved symptoms.
Mental Health: 41.2% of respondents reported a concurrent mental health condition, emphasizing the need for improved mental health support during the menopause transition.
Stigma and Silence: While conversations about menopause are increasingly visible in social and public media, stigma and silence around women's reproductive health and aging continue to hinder awareness on how best to support wellbeing through this life stage. This sentiment extends into health care interactions, where participants reported that menopause and its treatment were often dismissed, avoided, or misunderstood.
Dr. Lori Brotto, Principal Investigator of the HER-BC study, Professor of Obstetrics and Gynaecology at the University of British Columbia, and Executive Director of WHRI, said: "This report marks an essential first step in addressing the widespread lack of awareness and support for menopause in British Columbia. The experiences shared by the women surveyed make it clear that menopause is not only a health issue but one that deeply affects work, relationships, and everyday life. There is an opportunity to bridge these gaps and tackle the societal stigma that comes with menopause."
Cally Wesson, President and CEO of the BC Women's Health Foundation, added: "Menopause has been an under-researched area for far too long, and as a result, many women face these challenges without adequate support. This study brings critical issues to light and provides a clear path for improving health care outcomes and workplace policies for women in midlife. BC Women's Health Foundation is dedicated to supporting women at all life stages, including menopause, to ensure they have the resources and care they deserve."
Sarah Hoffman, President and CEO of Pacific Blue Cross, noted: "The HER-BC study highlights areas where care and support for midlife women can be enhanced in British Columbia. As a leading health care benefits provider, we recognize the importance of evolving our services to better support women at this stage of life. Employers and health care providers must work together to ensure that the necessary resources and support are available for women during menopause."
The report suggests several areas where improvements could be explored to better support midlife women experiencing menopause. These include:
Public health campaigns to raise awareness of menopause symptoms, helping to equip individuals with the knowledge needed to manage their health during this life stage.
Collaborative health care efforts that encourage greater education and interdisciplinary collaboration among health care providers to improve access to and continuity of care for women experiencing menopause.
Workplace support policies, such as flexible hours and accommodations, which could help alleviate the impact of menopause symptoms and enhance workplace productivity and wellbeing.
Prevention of workplace discrimination: When menopause symptoms impact the ability of a person to carry out their normal functions in the workplace, those symptoms should be considered a disability; employers have a legal obligation to make reasonable adjustments to accommodate that worker. Additionally, employers are under a legal obligation to protect workers with a disability from discrimination.
Further research to address knowledge gaps around menopause, including the influence of race, gender, economic status, and disability on menopause experiences and outcomes.
Established in 2006 in Vancouver, British Columbia, Women's Health Research Institute (WHRI) is one of only three research institutes in Canada with an explicit focus on women's health. It is the women's health research arm of the Provincial Health Services Authority (PHSA) and a UBC Faculty of Medicine Research Centre.
WHRI is devoted to improving the health and health care of girls and women through knowledge generation. It serves as a catalyst for research in women's health, supporting an expanding provincial and national network of women's health researchers, policy makers and health care providers. WHRI strives to be equitable and inclusive in how they collaborate, in what they prioritize, and in all that they do. To achieve their goals, their research respects, works alongside, collaborates with, and supports the health of women across the 2SLGBTQIA+ spectrum.
With its membership totaling over 500 investigators, the WHRI engages research partners across the province to support, enhance, and champion women's health research. They know that translating evidence into action is central to improving health and health care, so the WHRI has an important role to play in supporting knowledge translation (KT) initiatives.
About BC Women's Health Foundation
BC Women's Health Foundation (BCWHF), British Columbia's largest non-profit organization dedicated to advancing women's and newborn health, drives impactful care and research through partnerships with BC Women's Hospital + Health Centre—the only women's hospital in Western Canada—and the Women's Health Research Institute (WHRI). BCWHF ensures women have equitable access to high-quality healthcare whenever and wherever they need it. From life-saving care in BC Women's Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU)—Canada's largest NICU and the second largest in North America— BCWHF brings critical resources to the smallest and most vulnerable. Through initiatives with Women's Health Research Month and the annual Illuminations campaign, the Foundation inspires community support and investment to advance women's health outcomes. Together with our BCWHF supporters, we are creating bright beginnings and better futures for women and families across British Columbia. For more information, please visit bcwomensfoundation.org.
About Pacific Blue Cross
Pacific Blue Cross is a Health Benefits Society and British Columbia's number one health benefits provider. Based in Burnaby, BC, and in partnership with CUPE 1816, the union representing roughly three-quarters of their local workforce, the not-for-profit organization provides health, dental, life, disability and travel coverage for one in three British Columbians through group benefits and individual plans. As part of its mission to improve health and wellbeing for British Columbians, Pacific Blue Cross proactively supports charitable organizations across the province working to improve health outcomes.
About HER-BC: Health and Economics Research on Midlife Women in British Columbia
This 2024 landmark study, called Health and Economics Research on Midlife Women in British Columbia (HER-BC), engaged a wide geographic, demographic and psychographic cross-section of over 2,000 British Columbian women in midlife to share their experiences.
The study aimed to understand 1) the health concerns of midlife women in BC; 2) quality of life and psychological impacts of menopause; 3) impact of menopause on work and caregiving; and 4) barriers and enablers to accessing health care services and the health system.
The study adopted a mixed-methods approach creating a comprehensive online survey that captured participants' mental health, loneliness, menopause symptoms and their impact, physical activity, caregiving, job stress, and abnormal bleeding, in addition to current medication use and access to health services (providers and insurance coverage). Individual qualitative interviews were then conducted with a subset of participants to deepen our understanding of the participants.
A total of 2,133 individuals were recruited and surveyed. Of those, 275 were excluded due to ineligibility, leaving a final sample size of 1,858 respondents who completed some portion of the survey's six modules and 1,567 of which completed the survey fully. A total of 20 participants took part in individual semi-structured interviews.
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