Evaluation of Menopausal Interventions at a Japanese Company

Abstract

The purpose of this research was to evaluate the impact of interventions for menopausal symptoms among employees at a newspaper company in Japan and to clarify the role of the occupational health nurse. Since 2000, the company has focused on creating a comfortable work environment for its female employees. As part of this effort, this research study also aimed to evaluate a system to support employees experiencing menopausal symptoms. Methods of evaluation included surveys of current employees or former employees with symptoms of menopause and case studies of three women. As a result of these data, it became clear that differentiating between menopausal disorders and mental health issues was not always easy. However, comparisons before and after implementing changes in the health system revealed that the number of women describing symptoms of menopause decreased from 5 to 0, and the number of women retiring, dying while still employed, or taking more than 4 days of sick leave in a month decreased from 3 to 0. This research revealed that interventions for menopause, similar to mental health interventions, require specific human resources and systemic support.