Menopause as an Embodied and Occupational Disruption: A Qualitative Study of Women’s Experiences in Ghana (MARIE-WP2a)

作者：Fred Tweneboah-Koduah, Nana Mintah-Afful, Isaac Lartey Narh, Kwasi Eba-Polley, Catherine Narh Menka, Prince P. Osei, Nana Yaw Osei, Lemuel Lartey, Bernard B. Bortei, Cletus Kumi, Elijah Boafo, Janet Ayorkor Anyetei, Edel Issabella Arthur, Horatio King Glover, Fredrick Amoah, Ethel Larteley Boye, Zerish Lamptey, Laurinda Gyan, Jie Sun, Julie Taylor, Paula Briggs, Lucky Saraswat, Sharron Hinchliff, Kristina Potočnik, Kathryn Elliot, Nick Panay, Carol Atkinson, Vikram Talaulikar, George Uchenna Eleje, Om Kurmi, Nirmala Rathnayake, Tharanga Mudalige, Vindya Pathiraja, Jeevan Dhanarisi, Lamiya Al-Kharusi, Nihal Al-Riyami, Bernard Mbwele, Ieera Madan-Aggarwal, Teck‐Hock Toh, David Chibuike Ikwuka, Pradip Kumar Mitra, Muhammad Irfan, Rabia Kareem, Crisitina Laguna Benetti-Pinto, Helen Felicity Kemp, Ramiya Palanisamy, Jian Qing Shi, Sohier Elneil, Peter Phiri, Gayathri Delanerolle · 发表于：Preprints.org · 年份：2025 · DOI：10.20944/preprints202509.1118.v1 · 被引用次数：2 · 研究领域：Social Policies and Family

Objective This paper explores Ghanaian women’s experiences of menopause, focusing on its occupational, sociocultural, and healthcare dimensions and considering implications for national and diaspora health strategies.Design Qualitative study using semi-structured interviews and thematic analysis.Setting Ghana, within the context of the MARIE project, focuses on women engaged in informal trade, caregiving, and community roles.Population or Sample Eighteen Ghanaian women representing diverse socioeconomic, occupational, and health backgrounds.Methods Semi-structured interviews were conducted to capture symptom experiences, work–life balance, healthcare access, coping strategies, and societal perceptions. Data were analysed using Braun and Clarke’s six-phase thematic approach.Main Outcome Measures Narratives of menopausal experiences, thematic patterns related to occupational, psychological, and healthcare domains.Results Six overarching themes emerged: (1) occupational and economic strain; (2) psychological burden and emotional disruption; (3) physical and somatic disruption; (4) barriers to healthcare access and knowledge; (5) coping, resilience, and withdrawal; and (6) outlook, migration, and intergenerational lessons. Menopause was described as a disruptive and embodied transition, shaped by gendered occupational expectations, sociocultural idioms, and systemic neglect.Conclusions Menopause in Ghana is not only a biomedical event but also a deeply occupational and sociocultu...