Abstract
Objective: Symptom monitoring is associated with improvements in menopausal symptoms (Andrews et al., 2021; 2023). The Health & Her app enables menopausal women to monitor their symptoms, symptom triggers, and menstrual periods, and enables them to engage in a variety of digital activities designed to promote health and wellbeing. The aim of the present study was to examine whether sustained weekly engagement with the app is associated with improvements in menopausal symptoms.
Methods: This quasi-experimental study analysed data provided by 1,900 Health & Her app users across a 2-month period. Symptom change from baseline, over the 2-month period, was the outcome measure. A linear mixed effects model explored whether app engagement was predictive of symptom reductions. Secondary hypotheses assessed whether app-usage factors such as total number of days spent monitoring symptoms and symptom triggers, reporting menstrual periods, and using in-app activities were independently predictive of symptom changes from baseline. Covariates included hormone replacement therapy (HRT) use, hormonal contraceptive use, present comorbidities, age, and dietary supplement use. To examine whether symptom types had varying impacts on symptom changes, symptom scores at baseline were evaluated and split according to specific symptom domains (i.e. psychological, urogenital, vasomotor, and physical).
Results: Nine weeks of app engagement had the largest impact on symptom reductions: b = -4.0 [-5.8, -2.3] compared to 8 weeks: b = -3.8 [-5.2, -2.3], 7 weeks: b = -3.2 [-4.5, -1.8], 6 weeks: b = -3.3 [-4.5, -2.0], 5 weeks: b = -2.6 [-3.7, -1.5], 4 weeks: b = -2.7 [-3.8, -1.6], and 3 weeks: b = -1.2, 95% CI [-2.2, -0.26]. Monitoring symptoms, daily use of in-app activities, and logging menstrual periods were each independently associated with symptom reductions. Of the four symptom domains assessed, reporting psychological symptoms at baseline was associated with the greatest reductions in total symptom scores: b= -0.54 [-0.62, -0.46].
Conclusion: This study demonstrated that greater weekly engagement with the app was associated with greater reductions in symptoms over a 2-month period. It is recommended that women be made aware of menopause-specific apps in primary care settings, such as that provided by Health & Her, to support them to manage their menopausal symptoms and track the efficacy of menopause-specific treatments.
Methods: This quasi-experimental study analysed data provided by 1,900 Health & Her app users across a 2-month period. Symptom change from baseline, over the 2-month period, was the outcome measure. A linear mixed effects model explored whether app engagement was predictive of symptom reductions. Secondary hypotheses assessed whether app-usage factors such as total number of days spent monitoring symptoms and symptom triggers, reporting menstrual periods, and using in-app activities were independently predictive of symptom changes from baseline. Covariates included hormone replacement therapy (HRT) use, hormonal contraceptive use, present comorbidities, age, and dietary supplement use. To examine whether symptom types had varying impacts on symptom changes, symptom scores at baseline were evaluated and split according to specific symptom domains (i.e. psychological, urogenital, vasomotor, and physical).
Results: Nine weeks of app engagement had the largest impact on symptom reductions: b = -4.0 [-5.8, -2.3] compared to 8 weeks: b = -3.8 [-5.2, -2.3], 7 weeks: b = -3.2 [-4.5, -1.8], 6 weeks: b = -3.3 [-4.5, -2.0], 5 weeks: b = -2.6 [-3.7, -1.5], 4 weeks: b = -2.7 [-3.8, -1.6], and 3 weeks: b = -1.2, 95% CI [-2.2, -0.26]. Monitoring symptoms, daily use of in-app activities, and logging menstrual periods were each independently associated with symptom reductions. Of the four symptom domains assessed, reporting psychological symptoms at baseline was associated with the greatest reductions in total symptom scores: b= -0.54 [-0.62, -0.46].
Conclusion: This study demonstrated that greater weekly engagement with the app was associated with greater reductions in symptoms over a 2-month period. It is recommended that women be made aware of menopause-specific apps in primary care settings, such as that provided by Health & Her, to support them to manage their menopausal symptoms and track the efficacy of menopause-specific treatments.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Publication status | Published - 9 Jun 2023 |
| Event | British Menopause Society: -32nd Annual Scientific Conference - Stratford Manor Hotel, Stratford-Upon-Avon, United Kingdom Duration: 29 Jun 2023 → 30 Jun 2023 |
Conference
| Conference | British Menopause Society |
|---|---|
| Country/Territory | United Kingdom |
| City | Stratford-Upon-Avon |
| Period | 29/06/23 → 30/06/23 |