More Than Menopause: Fostering Healthcare Relationships that Empower Women in Midlife

Midlife is a period of significant physical, psychological, and social change for many women. Although menopause is an important aspect of this transition, women's health experiences extend beyond hormonal and reproductive changes. Caregiving responsibilities, professional demands, financial pressures, and evolving relationships may all influence physical and emotional well-being. In this context, the quality of interactions with healthcare professionals can play an important role in how women understand their health concerns, make decisions, and access appropriate support.

In the MRI-funded project More Than Menopause: Fostering Healthcare Relationships that Empower Women in Midlife, Dr. Danielle Arigo (Rowan University) examines how relationships between women in midlife and their healthcare providers may be strengthened to support physical health, psychological well-being, and personal agency. Through a mixed-methods study incorporating the perspectives of both patients and healthcare professionals, the research investigates barriers to effective communication, experiences of support, and opportunities to develop more responsive approaches to midlife women's healthcare.

Despite frequently seeking medical care, some women report that their concerns are minimized, dismissed, or inadequately addressed. Such experiences may be associated with broader challenges within healthcare systems, including gender- and age-related biases, limited attention to patients' social circumstances, and gaps in professional education concerning women's health during midlife.

Healthcare providers also encounter structural and practical constraints. Many receive limited specialized training in midlife women's health, while available educational resources may emphasize the biological dimensions of menopause without fully addressing psychological, social, and relational experiences. Time pressures and demanding workloads can further restrict opportunities for meaningful communication and collaborative decision-making.

These challenges raise questions about how healthcare relationships influence women's confidence in managing their health. When patients feel that their concerns are not adequately addressed, they may seek information from alternative sources, including social media, online influencers, and commercially marketed wellness products. Although such resources vary considerably in quality, their growing visibility highlights the importance of understanding where women obtain health information and how these sources relate to their experiences with healthcare professionals.

Arigo's research approaches these questions through an interpersonal perspective, recognizing that healthcare involves more than the exchange of medical information. Patient-provider interactions may influence whether women feel understood, trust the guidance they receive, and believe they can translate recommendations into actions that are realistic in their everyday lives.

The project is conducted in collaboration with Inspira Health System in New Jersey and Acenda Health's Mosaic Family Success Centers. A Women's Health Program Advisory Board, including healthcare professionals and women in midlife, also provides guidance to help ensure that the research addresses relevant concerns and reflects the experiences of those involved in healthcare delivery and use.

The study will recruit approximately 500 women between the ages of 35 and 65 to complete an electronic survey examining their health experiences and interactions with healthcare providers.

In this survey, participants will report on menopause-related beliefs and symptoms, depressive symptoms, body image, sleep disturbances, physical pain, social support, and caregiving responsibilities. The survey will also assess women's experiences of healthcare communication and their exposure to wellness products promoted through social media. Collecting information across these domains will allow the researchers to examine how women's physical and psychological experiences relate to their social circumstances and perceptions of healthcare. The study will also investigate whether patterns of healthcare engagement and exposure to alternative health information are associated with differences in women's experiences and well-being.

Following the survey, researchers will select approximately 30 women representing a range of experiences for individual qualitative interviews. These conversations will explore how women understand their health concerns, navigate healthcare relationships, and experience support or barriers when seeking care, with emphasis on experiences that have affected their self-efficacy and/or healthcare decision-making.

An additional 15 healthcare professionals, including physicians, nurses, and other members of healthcare teams, will participate in interviews examining their experiences providing care to women in midlife. These interviews will address perceived gaps in professional training, challenges in patient-provider communication, and opportunities for improving healthcare delivery.

By incorporating both patient and provider perspectives, the goal of this study is to identify areas of agreement and difference in how healthcare interactions are understood. An encounter that a provider considers informative or supportive, for example, may not necessarily be experienced in the same way by the patient. Examining these perspectives together may provide insight into how expectations, communication practices, and healthcare environments shape the quality of care.

A central focus of the project is the potential role of healthcare relationships in fostering women's confidence, autonomy, and sense of agency. Compassionate and responsive care involves not only acknowledging patients' concerns but also helping them understand available options, participate in decisions, and identify approaches to managing their health that are compatible with their circumstances.

The findings are intended to inform recommendations and educational resources for healthcare professionals, with particular attention to communication, patient autonomy, and responsiveness to women's experiences during midlife. The research team also plans to share findings with study participants, professional audiences, and the broader public through publications, presentations, and accessible educational materials.

Because the study combines survey data with qualitative interviews, it can identify patterns of association and develop a detailed understanding of participants' perspectives. However, it is not designed to establish that particular healthcare interactions cause changes in health outcomes or to evaluate the effectiveness of a specific clinical intervention.

By examining healthcare relationships within the broader context of women's physical, psychological, and social experiences, this MRI-funded project contributes to an interactional and systemic understanding of health during midlife. It recognizes that effective healthcare depends not only on medical knowledge but also on the relationships through which concerns are communicated, decisions are negotiated, and individuals are supported in managing their health.