An online educational resource addressing eating disorders during the menopause transition: a brief evaluation study

The biological, psychological and social changes that occur during the menopause transition can contribute to increased risk of eating disorder onset, re-emergence or exacerbation of a pre-existing eating disorder. Owing to a substantial lack of available evidence-based information addressing the intersection of eating disorders and menopause, we co-designed a novel online resource with people with a lived experience of an eating disorder during the menopause transition and other key stakeholders. We previously demonstrated preliminary acceptability and feasibility of this resource. The aim of our study was to conduct a brief evaluation of the online resource with "real world" users. In an approximately 7-month period during 2024, with the resource being hosted on Eating Disorders Victoria's LearnED platform, 279 people enrolled in the resource. The most common resource users were health professionals, particularly dietitians and psychologists. Of these users, almost 40% completed a brief online evaluation survey included within the resource which showed that participants were primarily seeking to understand the intersection of eating disorders and menopause as well as find services for support as their reasons for engaging with the resource. According to the evaluation results, the feedback from users was very positive - they had their learning needs met, were satisfied with the experience and would recommend the resource to others. Although more comprehensive resource evaluation should be completed in the future, our brief evaluation helps to pave the way for expansion of much needed research and resource development in the neglected field of eating disorders intersecting with menopause.