Workplace-Integrated Brief Health Behavior Counseling for Menopausal Symptoms and Work Productivity: A Prospective...

Area of Science:

• Occupational Health
• Women's Health
• Menopause Management

Background:

• Menopause symptoms are a significant occupational health issue for working women.
• Many women delay seeking medical help for menopause due to work demands.
• Perimenopausal symptoms can negatively impact work productivity.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the impact of gynecologist-delivered brief health behavior counseling.
• To assess effects on menopausal symptoms and work productivity in perimenopausal women.
• To explore the intervention's utility in workplace menopause care.

Main Methods:

• Prospective interventional study with 55 perimenopausal employees.
• Gynecologist counseling session followed by 1-month follow-up.
• Menopausal symptoms assessed by Simplified Menopausal Index (SMI); work productivity by WHO Health and Work Performance Questionnaire (WHO-HPQ).

Main Results:

• Overall trend of improved SMI scores, significant reduction in severe symptom groups (SMI ≥51).
• Improvements observed in WHO-HPQ absolute presenteeism scores.
• Positive association between reduced menopausal symptoms and enhanced work productivity.

Conclusions:

• Brief gynecologist counseling effectively improves menopausal symptoms and work productivity.
• Workplace-based, gynecologist-led interventions can help retain women in the workforce.
• This approach addresses a critical need in occupational health for perimenopausal women.