Seeking control: how women evaluate and use menopause related information

Studies on healthy ageing have shown that access to information can improve women’s experiences during menopause. However, due to socioeconomic barriers and the quality or complexity of the available menopause information, women lack adequate information about menopause. Previous reviews have critically analysed women's preferences for menopause information sources, the factors influencing their decision-making, and the menopause topics they seek information about. Yet, there is limited understanding on why women select certain sources or how they use them. This leaves a gap in evidence for information providers who wish to create accessible and informative menopause-related resources. In this paper, we present a thematic synthesis of 53 studies that empirically examined how women interact with information about menopause to identify information use and evaluation practices. Our synthesis identified seven distinct ways women use information about menopause and four methods that are used to evaluate these resources. We also highlight how women’s information practices are often negatively enacted upon by taboos, sexism and racism. In this light, we centrally found that women use information to gain control over their menopause experiences and evaluate the measure of control information sources provide, seeking out empowering, tailored and personalisable sources. Finally, we propose a set of recommendations that emphasises the importance of considering information practices, particularly information use when designing information access systems or creating information sources on menopause.