The KLAR study

Research project

The KLAR study

One in three women experiences significant health issues during menopause. There is therefore a pressing need for increased knowledge about how menopause affects women's sick leave and withdrawal from the workforce.

Photo:

Annikken Grieg S忙thre, Grieg Foundation

Main content

Project description

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For the Norwegian context there is no available research on women鈥檚 experience with menopause in encounters with healthcare or working life. In Norway, all citizens have a designated general practitioner (GP) being their primary health contact as well as the gatekeeper to specialist health care. GPs thus have a crucial role in health care for all citizens, also for women with menopausal health complaints. Studies find that health complaints during the menopausal transition range from mental health issues, musculoskeletal pain, joint stiffness, sleep deprivation, fatigue, headache, 鈥榖rain fog鈥�, asthma and severe hot flushes impacting women鈥檚 quality of life and potential for sustainable work participation. Intervention studies/projects aiming to inform menopausal women about menopausal health issues, found significant improvement in women鈥檚 self-reported health, wellbeing and presenteeism after the intervention.

When dealing with menopause, lack of awareness and access to appropriate knowledge is a major challenge in many societies, also Norway. Women empowerment in decisions about their health is therefore of major importance. There is a potential for studies empowering women to manage their own health complaints in relation to work life and workplace and to encounters with the healthcare system, in particular GP鈥檚, for example through informational efforts, support, utilizing available health care resources, and practicing active self-care. The KLAR study will strengthen the knowledge base on how women, health care professionals and organizations/ employers experience and manage menopause and identify hinderances and facilitators for meeting women鈥檚 needs in relation to work participation and inclusion.

KLAR will bring novel knowledge to how women鈥檚 health in midlife is framed in health and welfare policy and hence also contribute to systemic awareness of how attitudes to women鈥檚 health in general, and menopause in particular, are shaped in the public sphere, at workplaces and in health care.

The work was initiated in 2022 by the research group on work, health, and gender at the University of Bergen. The full Norwegian title of the project is KLAR - kvinnehelse, overgangsalder og arbeidsliv.

Highlights

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The KLAR study strengthens the information about menopause on

In spring 2024, the KLAR-study was invited by the Norwegian Directorate of Health to revise the information about menopause on the Helsenorge.no website. The Helsenorge.no website is the main public channel for quality-assured content about health, lifestyle, illness, treatment and rights. Helsenorge.no provides citizens with a main entrance to the health and care service online. Helsenorge.no helps citizens master their own health, 铿乶d their way around the health service and safeguard their rights. The revised webpages were launched on the 8^th of March 2025. The KLAR study will continue the work, which will also include information about menopause and working life.

KLAR puts menopause and working life on the agenda
with for Bergen Municipality.

The KLAR study was an important contributor to the new guide for menopause that Bergen Municipality launched on January 8^th 2025. The guide contains information about menopause, what employees can do themselves, what managers can do and what colleagues can do. Here, managers also find tips on how they can put menopause on the agenda and work to promote presence in this phase of life. The guide is part of 鈥楴忙rv忙rsprosjektet鈥� of Bergen Municipality.

KLAR contributes to the discussion of menopause in the workplace.

Since the beginning of the study, the researchers have held over 50 presentations all across the country. Municipalities, public agencies, private companies, organizations, etc. have put menopause and working life on the agenda. Now thousands of women and men have more knowledge about women's health, menopause and work.

The project contains four working packages听

WP1:听To explore and analyze women鈥檚 experiences with menopause, health care and work, GPs and health personnel reflections on barriers and facilitators for health promoting care, and finally, the framing of menopause in policy. Methods: Qualitative methods, interview and focus group interviews, and policy and document analysis
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WP2:听To examine and analyze diagnose patterns, medication patterns, health care trajectories and sick leave among women in the menopausal transition. Methods: Quantitative methods using the Norwegian health- and welfare registries

WP3:听To explore the relevance, usefulness, and contextualization of the European guidelines on menopause in the workplace (EMAS) in Norway. Methods: Three Delphi studies, one pilot intervention study.
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WP4:听The project鈥檚 fourth work package is aimed at disseminating and sharing information and knowledge with companies, organizations, the health services and the general population. The work is ongoing and it is highly prioritized to meet a growing demand for knowledge about the connection between women鈥檚 health, work life and menopause. 听

Communication

2025:

- Silje M.
Driv's professional day on women's health research听- Presentation of the project by Inger H 听
University of Bergen's Working Environment Committee - Presentation of the project by Inger H.
Bergen Municipality's Committee for Health and Social Affairs - Presentation of the project by Silje M.听
NAV Troms og Finnmark - Presentation of the project by Silje M.听
Revision of the information about menopause on the Helsenorge.no website, which is the main public channel for quality-assured content about health, lifestyle, illness, treamtment and rights. The revision was done on the request of the Norwegian Health Directorate.听
Presentation by Silje M.听听
听Presentation by Inger H.听
听arranged by听VIS, Connect Vest, NHO Vestland og Innovasjon Norge: Presentation by听Silje M.
听Presentation by听Una 脴.S. og Anita P.听
脴ygarden Municipality: Presentation by听Silje M.
: Presentation by听Silje M. and听Kjartan F.
: Presentation by Silje M.
NTL NAV Innlandet 氓rsm酶te: Presentation by听Silje M.听
Presentation by听Anette F.听
University of Bergen - Women's Health Seminar 'Women's health in a life phase perspective': Presentation by Anette F., Anita P., Inger H. and Silje M.听

2024:

NAV Arbeidslivssenter Vestland,听meeting with听Kjersti听Rebnord regarding life-phase-oriented personnel policy: Inger H.
Kommunal Landspensjonskasse (KLP): Webinar about MenoWork project with听Inger H. and Anita Prante
HR Norway's conference听: Presentation by听Silje M.听
Gjensidige Oslo Women's Day celebration: Presentation by听Una 脴.S.听
Bergen R氓dhus' Women's Day celebration: Presentation by Anette F.听
Ole Bull Scene Women's Day celebration: Presentation by听Silje M.听
TV2 internal seminar in connection with Women's Day celebration: Presentation by听Inger H and听Anita Prante
Panel debate听at听Litteraturhuset (Bergen) :听Kjartan V. F.
Bergen Sanitesforening : Panel debate with Silje M.听
Meeting with politicians from H酶yre at the Parliament: Inger H. and Silje M.听
Presentation of the project to the top management of the Grieg Group:听Silje M.听
Presentation of the project to The Norweigan Labour and Welfare administration's听Employment centre: Inger H.听
Webinar about women's health and the menopause听at the City Council's department for elderly, health and care: Anette F.听
Presentation of the project to the HR department of听Vestland Fylkeskommune: Silje M.听
Presentation for all the management of听NAV Troms og Finnmark: Una 脴.S.
Arendalsuka: : Panel debate with Inger H.听
Arendalsuka:听: Introduction by Anette F. 听and听a panel debate with Silje M.听
Forskningsdagene p氓 H酶gskulen p氓 Vestlandet : Panel debate with Anette F.
Forskningsdagene and Alrek helse dager听: Panel debate with Silje M. and听Anita Prante.听
: Presentation of the project by Silje M.听
: Presentation of the project and panel discussion by Inger H.听
The Norwegian Locomotive Drivers' Association's women's conference for female locomotive drivers by Inger H.听
Norwegian Smart Care Cluster: Webinar about women's health - Silje M.听
NAV Nordhordaland,听Hordaland legeforening og Nordhordaland n忙ringslivslag: Presentation of the project by Silje M.听
Miles: Presentation of the project - Inger H.听
A2G Arbeidsrettet rehabilitering (ARR) Vestland: Presentation by听Una 脴.
Administrative learning day at the Faculty of Science and Technology at 幸运飞艇计划: Presentation by听Una 脴.S.
The Norwegian Labor Inspection Authority: Webinar - Silje M. og Inger H.听
Bergen Sanitetsforening : Presentation by听Silje M. and听Inger H.
幸运飞艇计划's Safety delegate's competence day: Presentation by Inger H.
: Presentation by Inger H.听
Agency for home-based services (Bergen Municipality)'s professional day for home helpers: Presentation by听Silje M.
Tryg insurance Bergen: Presentation by听Una 脴.S.
Norwegian Locomotive Drivers' Association safety conference: Presentation by听Inger H.听
Norwegian Nurses Organization, department for Health Hordaland, annual autum seminar ''Womens's health and work life in a gender perspective'': Presentation by Anette F.
'Rask psykisk helsehjelp' in Trondheim county: Presentation by Silje M.
The Norwegian Labor Inspection Authority and NAV Working Life Center Vestland: Lecture by听Anette F. and听Una 脴.听
ODA Network - event with focus on menopause and working life (hosted by Mastercard): Presentation by听Inger H.听
: Key-note lecture 'Women's health, gender and work' by Anette F.听

2023:

: Debate about women's health
BIFF,听幸运飞艇计划 Innsikt premiere of the movie听'Periodicals': Presentation by听Silje M. together with rector Margareth Hagen
Parat, 'Life phase policy': Presentation by听Silje M.听
BIFF, Med. fak. premiere of the movie听'Periodicals': Presentation by Inger H. p氓 AHH.
幸运飞艇计划 Innsikt, panel debate about 'Why women's health has a low status?':听Inger H.听
Studentersamfunnet (the student community), panel debate about menopause: Inger H.
NKS, Voss - Una S.听
听(Women's Health Conference) arranged by Funksjonshemmendes fellesorganisasjon Vestland: Presentation by Anette F.听
Christmas lunch: Panel discussion about KLAR with Inger H.

In the media

2025:听

BA 听- Interview with Silje M.
Fedrelandsvennen - Interview听with Silje M. and听Leikny H.听
Aftenposten ' - Interview with Inger H.听

2024:

Gjensidige 'Godt forberedt'听听- Interview with听Una 脴.
Studvest -听Interview with Inger H.听
Hordaland i dag ' - Interview with Kjartan V. F.听
Dagens N忙ringsliv听听- Interview with Silje M.
Article about the webinar at the City Council's department for elderly, health and care - Interview with Anette F.听
Article in听Folkehelsen 听- Interview with听Inger H.
Op-ed in听LO Magasinet
Ukeslutt P1 - Interview with Silje M.听
Forskning.no 听- Article from one of the panel debates at Arendalsuka where Inger H. participated.
Research magazine Apollon at the University of Oslo听听- Interview with听Inger H.听
Lokomotivmands tidende 听- Interview with Inger H.听
Kilden kj酶nnsforskning - Interview听with听Inger H.听
Frifagbevelse's magazine听STYRKE 听- Interview听with听Inger H.听
Dagens perspektiv 听- Interview听with听Inger H.听