Using and Appropriating Technology to Support The Menopause Journey in the UK

Document Title

Using and Appropriating Technology to Support The Menopause Journey in the UK

Document Information

• Subject Area: Human-Computer Interaction (HCI), Women's Health Technology, and Social Support
• Keywords: Menopause, Health, Care, Aging, Qualitative Research, Technology Appropriation, Field Application, Women

Research Background and Issues

• What problems or challenges did the authors identify?

  • Menopause transition affects half of the global population but has long been stigmatized and lacks technology-related support.
  • Commercial menopause technologies are scarce, with existing solutions primarily focusing on alleviating specific symptoms (e.g., hot flashes) or providing basic information, resulting in limited coverage.
  • Individual menopause experiences vary greatly, making it difficult for technology designs to meet diverse needs.
  • Although the HCI field has started addressing this issue, the practical use of technology to support menopause remains under-researched.

• Why is this issue important?

  • Menopause significantly impacts individuals physically, professionally, and psychologically. In the UK, 90% of those experiencing menopause report symptoms, with approximately 1 million women leaving their jobs due to these symptoms, affecting economic and social structures.
  • Improving technological support can enhance societal awareness of menopause, reduce isolation among individuals, and boost confidence in healthcare.

• Research Motivation and Related Work

  • Existing HCI research predominantly focuses on designing future technologies but has not deeply explored the real-world application of current technologies.
  • The study aims to understand the actual use of technologies to inform future designs and explore how to center designs around individual experiences.

Solutions

• What methods or solutions did the authors propose?

  • Conducting qualitative research combining questionnaires (38 participants) and semi-structured interviews (11 participants) to explore how individuals use general technologies and menopause-specific technologies to support themselves.
  • Utilizing Reflexive Thematic Analysis to analyze participants' experiences with technology usage.
  • Presenting three key contributions: empirical analysis of current technological practices, considerations for future technology design, and design insights for technology appropriation and support.

• What is innovative about this solution?

  • Focuses on the use and non-use of existing technologies in real-world contexts rather than solely designing future bespoke technologies.
  • Emphasizes redefining menopause technology support design principles based on individual experiences.
  • Explores possibilities for technology appropriation and integration to expand the scope of application.

• What are the implementation steps and key technologies used?

  • Recruiting participants through participatory methods and collecting data via online questionnaires and offline interviews.
  • Employing Reflexive Thematic Analysis to uncover participants' usage patterns, expectations, and challenges with technology.
  • Drawing on interdisciplinary methods to explore design directions, referencing existing HCI research outputs.

Research Outcomes

• What specific outcomes were achieved?

  • Identified four roles of technology in supporting menopause: connection and sharing, information seeking, tracking and reflection, and self-care.
  • Proposed opportunities and challenges for technology design, including addressing tensions between aging and technology use, accommodating diverse personal choices and needs, and exploring possibilities for repurposing existing technologies.

• How does it compare to existing solutions?

  • Compared to traditional menopause technologies, this study suggests ways to repurpose existing technologies to support more diverse user needs.
  • Highlights the long-term potential of technology through personalized designs that enhance user acceptance and convenience.

• What are the experimental or evaluation results?

  • Questionnaire and interview results indicate that participants use various technologies (e.g., social media, smartwatches, fitness trackers) in non-traditional ways to support their menopause experiences.
  • Specific issues include the complexity of technology use, cost barriers, data trust, and motivations for long-term use.
  • Commercial technology designs tend to address single symptoms, whereas actual menopause experiences are complex and varied.

• Limitations and Future Directions

  • Limitations:
    • The study focuses on the UK, with a relatively homogeneous sample in terms of ethnicity and gender composition.
    • Retrospective qualitative analysis did not include intervention experiments to evaluate technology appropriation.
  • Future Directions:
    • Expanding research to other cultural contexts and diverse groups (e.g., non-binary individuals).
    • Exploring contextual technology usage designs (e.g., differing needs in work and home environments).
    • Further investigating the modification and optimization of existing technologies to support the complex needs of menopause.