Research project

The KLAR study

One in three women experiences significant health issues during menopause. There is therefore a pressing need for increased knowledge about how menopause affects women's sick leave and withdrawal from the workforce.

Picture of two women and a man sitting around a table and talking.

Photo:

ToveLise Mossestad

Main content

Project description

For the Norwegian context there is no available research on women’s experience with menopause in encounters with healthcare or working life. In Norway, all citizens have a designated general practitioner (GP) being their primary health contact as well as the gatekeeper to specialist health care. GPs thus have a crucial role in health care for all citizens, also for women with menopausal health complaints. Studies find that health complaints during the menopausal transition range from mental health issues, musculoskeletal pain, joint stiffness, sleep deprivation, fatigue, headache, ‘brain fog’, asthma and severe hot flushes impacting women’s quality of life and potential for sustainable work participation. Intervention studies/projects aiming to inform menopausal women about menopausal health issues, found significant improvement in women’s self-reported health, wellbeing and presenteeism after the intervention.

When dealing with menopause, lack of awareness and access to appropriate knowledge is a major challenge in many societies, also Norway. Women empowerment in decisions about their health is therefore of major importance. There is a potential for studies empowering women to manage their own health complaints in relation to work life and workplace and to encounters with the healthcare system, in particular GP’s, for example through informational efforts, support, utilizing available health care resources, and practicing active self-care. The KLAR study will strengthen the knowledge base on how women, health care professionals and organizations/ employers experience and manage menopause and identify hinderances and facilitators for meeting women’s needs in relation to work participation and inclusion.

KLAR will bring novel knowledge to how women’s health in midlife is framed in health and welfare policy and hence also contribute to systemic awareness of how attitudes to women’s health in general, and menopause in particular, are shaped in the public sphere, at workplaces and in health care.

The work was initiated in 2022 by the research group on work, health, and gender at the University of Bergen. The full Norwegian title of the project is KLAR - kvinnehelse, overgangsalder og arbeidsliv.

The project contains four working packages

WP1: To explore and analyze women’s experiences with menopause, health care and work, GPs and health personnel reflections on barriers and facilitators for health promoting care, and finally, the framing of menopause in policy. Methods: Qualitative methods, interview and focus group interviews, and policy and document analysis

WP2: To examine and analyze diagnose patterns, medication patterns, health care trajectories and sick leave among women in the menopausal transition. Methods: Quantitative methods using the Norwegian health- and welfare registries

WP3: To explore the relevance, usefulness, and contextualization of the European guidelines on menopause in the workplace (EMAS) in Norway. Methods: Three Delphi studies, one pilot intervention study.

WP4: The project’s fourth work package is aimed at disseminating and sharing information and knowledge with companies, organizations, the health services and the general population. The work is ongoing and it is highly prioritized to meet a growing demand for knowledge about the connection between women’s health, work life and menopause.

Communication

2024:

NAV Arbeidslivssenter Vestland, meeting with Kjersti Rebnord regarding life-phase-oriented personnel policy - Inger H.
Kommunal Landspensjonskasse (KLP) - Webinar about MenoWork project with Inger H. and Anita Prante
HR Norway's conference 'Sykefravær og arbeidsmiljø' - presentation by Silje M.
Gjensidige Oslo Women's Day celebration - presentation by Una Ø.S.
Bergen Rådhus' Women's Day celebration - presentation by Anette F.
Ole Bull Scene Women's Day celebration - presentation by Silje M.
TV2 internal seminar in connection with Women's Day celebration - presentation by Inger H and Anita Prante
Panel debate at Litteraturhuset (Bergen) 'Kvinnelige smertepasienter - ulike behandlinger og tause barrierer' - Kjartan V. F.
Bergen Sanitesforening 'Kvinner i fokus: synliggjøring ikke sykeliggjøring' - panel debate with Silje M.
Meeting with politicians from Høyre at the Parliament - Inger H. and Silje M.
Presentation of the project to the top management of the Grieg Group - Silje M.
Presentation of the project to The Norweigan Labour and Welfare administration's Employment centre - Inger H.
Webinar about women's health and the menopause at the City Council's department for elderly, health and care - Anette F.
Presentation of the project to the HR department of Vestland Fylkeskommune - Silje M.
Presentation for all the management of NAV Troms og Finnmark - Una Ø.S.
Arendalsuka: Overgangsalderen og arbeidsplassen: Tid for kompetanse og åpenhet - panel debate with Inger H.
Arendalsuka: Overgangsalderen – kvinners vei ut av arbeidslivet? - Introduction by Anette F. and a panel debate with Silje M.
Forskningsdagene på Høgskulen på Vestlandet 'Kampen for kvinnehelsa' - panel debate with Anette F.
Forskningsdagene and Alrek helse dager 'Et kvinneliv - i hormonenes makt?' - panel debate with Silje M. and Anita Prante.
Alrek helsedager: Presentation of the project - Silje M.
Kvinnearbeidshelseutvalget: Presentation of the project and panel discussion - Inger H.
The Norwegian Locomotive Drivers' Association's women's conference for female locomotive drivers - Inger H.
Norwegian Smart Care Cluster: Webinar about women's health - Silje M.
NAV Nordhordaland, Hordaland legeforening og Nordhordaland næringslivslag: Presentation of the project - Silje M.
Miles: Presentation of the project - Inger H.
A2G Arbeidsrettet rehabilitering (ARR) Vestland: Presentation - Una Ø.
Administrative learning day at the Faculty of Science and Technology at UiB: Presentation - Una Ø.S.
The Norwegian Labor Inspection Authority: Webinar - Silje M. og Inger H.
Bergen Sanitetsforening 'Kvinner i fokus: Overgangsalder - vi feirer Menopausedagen!' - Silje M. og Inger H.
UiB's Safety delegate's competence day: Presentation - Inger H.
Den årlige nasjonale forskningskonferansen for muskeskjeletthelse (MUSS) - Presentation: Inger H.
Agency for home-based services (Bergen Municipality)'s professional day for home helpers - Presentation: Silje M.
Tryg insurance Bergen - Presentation: Una Ø.S.
Norwegian Locomotive Drivers' Association safety conference - Presentation: Inger H.
Norwegian Nurses Organization, department for Health Hordaland, annual autum seminar ''Womens's health and work life in a gender perspective'': Presentation by Anette F.
'Rask psykisk helsehjelp' in Trondheim county: Presentation by Silje M.
The Norwegian Labor Inspection Authority and NAV Working Life Center Vestland: Lecture by Anette F. and Una Ø.
ODA Network - event with focus on menopause and working life (hosted by Mastercard): Presentation by Inger H.
Research conference Faculty of Health and Social Sciences at HVL 2024: Key-note lecture 'Women's health, gender and work' by Anette F.

2023:

Alrekdagene 2023 - debate about women's health
BIFF, UiB Innsikt premiere of the movie 'Periodicals' - presentation by Silje M. together with rector Margareth Hagen
Parat, 'Life phase policy' - presentation by Silje M.
BIFF, Med. fak. premiere of the movie 'Periodicals' - presentation by Inger H. på AHH.
UiB Innsikt, panel debate about 'Why women's health has a low status?' - Inger H.
Studentersamfunnet (the student community), panel debate about menopause - Inger H.
NKS, Voss - Una S.
Kvinnehelsekonferansen (Women's Health Conference) arranged by Funksjonshemmendes fellesorganisasjon Vestland - presentation by Anette F.
Bergen Chamber of Commerce and Industry's Christmas lunch - panel discussion about MenoWork with Inger H.

In the media

2024:

Gjensidige 'Godt forberedt' 'Ovegangsplager øker sykefraværet - trengs mer tilrettelegging' - Interview with Una Ø.
Studvest 'Mindre prestisje å forske på kvinnehelse' - Interview with Inger H.
Hordaland i dag 'Kvinnelige smertepasienter' - Interview with Kjartan V. F.
Dagens Næringsliv 'Kvinner som blør for jobben' - Interview with Silje M.
Article about the webinar at the City Council's department for elderly, health and care - Interview with Anette F.
Article in Folkehelsen 'Målet er at flere kvinner kan stå i jobb i overgangsalderen' - Interview with Inger H.
Op-ed in LO Magasinet 'La oss snakke om overgangsalderen på jobben!'
Ukeslutt P1 'Vi må snakke om overgangsalderen' - Interview with Silje M.
Forskning.no 'Vi kan ikke sammenligne sykefraværet til menn og kvinner' - Article from one of the panel debates at Arendalsuka where Inger H. participated.
Research magazine Apollon at the University of Oslo 'Overgangsalderen påvirker kvinner i arbeidslivet' - Interview with Inger H.
Lokomotivmands tidende 'Kvinnehelse har lav status' - Interview with Inger H.
Kilden kjønnsforskning 'Kvinner jobber i snitt ett år mindre enn menn' - Interview with Inger H.
Frifagbevelse's magazine STYRKE 'Ellen fortalte ikke om plagene hun hadde. Nå vil hun ha mer åpenhet i arbeidslivet' - Interview with Inger H.
Dagens perspektiv 'Kvinner i overgangsalderen risikerer å falle ut av arbeidslivet' - Interview with Inger H.

2023:

Dagens Næringsliv 'Overgangsladeren, en revolusjon er i emning' - Interview with Inger H.
Dag og Tid 'Kostbare kvinneplager' - Interview with Inger H.
God Morgen Hordaland 'Overgangsalder og arbeid' on the world's menopause day - Interview with Silje M.
NRK Dagsrevyen, 'KLAR prosjektet' - Interview with Silje M.
Bergensavisen, 'Får millionstøtte til prosjekt om kvinnehelse: Overganggsalderen' - Interview with Silje M, Una Ø. og Inger H.
Kvinner og Klær +, 'KLAR prosjektet' - Interview with Inger H.