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Women, work and menopause: the relevance of menopause to occupational safety and health of employed women
Conference presentation

Women, work and menopause: the relevance of menopause to occupational safety and health of employed women

Prudence M Millear
2012 University Research Conference Program Book, p.21
USC Research Conference, 2012 (Sunshine Coast, Australia, 09-Jul-2012–13-Jul-2012)
University of the Sunshine Coast
2012
url
https://www.usc.edu.au/View
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Abstract

Psychology ageing workforce women
As a result of many years of changes in employment patterns, there are now increasing numbers of employed older women. Women's re-entry to work benefits the economy, with studies reflecting the stronger work ethic of older workers, which may further influence productivity and performance. Menopause is a natural part of the life cycle for women and is especially relevant with the ageing workforce and the requirement to stay in the workplace for longer periods than before. While there have been advances in occupational safety and health (OSH) issues, there are some areas, including women's life experiences and menopause in particular, that have not received much the attention and are often not considered as work-related stressors. Menopause is more commonly studied for its health consequences (i.e. poorer physical and mental health, particularly depression). Within the workplace, depression is linked to poorer interpersonal relationships with colleagues and decreased work satisfaction and performance. As such, there is a need to identify possible workplace risk factors that impact on menopause, and to determine how working women respond in turn to these occurrences. A large sample (N=395) of employed women in Australia and the UK completed an online survey that measured personal resources, workplace conditions, and how well women found their workplace responded to menopausal symptoms, in addition to their mental health and job satisfaction. Specifically, structural equation modelling found that women with more personal and workplace resources and more responsive workplaces reported better outcomes of less depression, more job satisfaction and a better experience of menopause itself. Identifying the risks in the workplace that either reduce demands (e.g. an inflexible environment) or increase resources (e.g. more optimism, autonomy and social support) available to the women during their menopausal phase highlighted the OSH concerns of women and provide suggestions to reduce any negative impacts these may have on women in the workplace.

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