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 Sæthre, Grieg Foundation

Main content

Project description

For the Norwegian context there is no available research on women’s 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, ‘brain fog’, asthma and severe hot flushes impacting women’s 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’s 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’s, 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’s needs in relation to work participation and inclusion.

KLAR will bring novel knowledge to how women’s health in midlife is framed in health and welfare policy and hence also contribute to systemic awareness of how attitudes to women’s 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

The KLAR study strengthens the information about menopause on Helsenorge.no

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, ﬁnd 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 a new guide 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 ‘Nærværsprosjektet’ 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

WP1: To explore and analyze women’s 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

WP2: 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: 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.

WP4: The project’s 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’s health, work life and menopause.

Communication

2025:

Bergen Kommune's launch of their menopause guidelines - Silje M.
Driv's professional day on women's health research - Presentation of the project by Inger H
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.
NAV Troms og Finnmark - Presentation of the project by Silje M.
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.
Balansekonferansen 2024-2025: Women in Sports: Presentation by Silje M.
Arbeids- og velferdskonferansen arrangert av avisa Dagens Perspektiv: Presentation by Inger H.
Women's Day breakfast arranged by VIS, Connect Vest, NHO Vestland og Innovasjon Norge: Presentation by Silje M.
Women's health conference Harstad: Presentation by Una Ø.S. og Anita P.
Øygarden Municipality: Presentation by Silje M.
Fyseoterapikongressen 2025: Presentation by Silje M. and Kjartan F.
Turnuskonferansen 2025: Presentation by Silje M.
NTL NAV Innlandet årsmøte: Presentation by Silje M.
Samfunnsviterne Vestland: Presentation by Anette F.
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.

2024:

NAV Arbeidslivssenter Vestland, meeting with Kjersti Rebnord regarding life-phase-oriented personnel policy: Inger H.
Kommunal Landspensjonskasse (KLP): Webinar about MenoWork project with Inger H. and Anita Prante
HR Norway's conference 'Sykefravær og arbeidsmiljø': Presentation by Silje M.
Gjensidige Oslo Women's Day celebration: Presentation by Una Ø.S.
Bergen Rådhus' Women's Day celebration: Presentation by Anette F.
Ole Bull Scene Women's Day celebration: Presentation by Silje M.
TV2 internal seminar in connection with Women's Day celebration: Presentation by Inger H and Anita Prante
Panel debate at Litteraturhuset (Bergen) 'Kvinnelige smertepasienter - ulike behandlinger og tause barrierer': Kjartan V. F.
Bergen Sanitesforening 'Kvinner i fokus: synliggjøring ikke sykeliggjøring': Panel debate with Silje M.
Meeting with politicians from Høyre at the Parliament: Inger H. and Silje M.
Presentation of the project to the top management of the Grieg Group: Silje M.
Presentation of the project to The Norweigan Labour and Welfare administration's Employment centre: Inger H.
Webinar about women's health and the menopause at the City Council's department for elderly, health and care: Anette F.
Presentation of the project to the HR department of Vestland Fylkeskommune: Silje M.
Presentation for all the management of NAV Troms og Finnmark: Una Ø.S.
Arendalsuka: Overgangsalderen og arbeidsplassen: Tid for kompetanse og åpenhet: Panel debate with Inger H.
Arendalsuka: Overgangsalderen – kvinners vei ut av arbeidslivet?: Introduction by Anette F. and a panel debate with Silje M.
Forskningsdagene på Høgskulen på Vestlandet 'Kampen for kvinnehelsa': Panel debate with Anette F.
Forskningsdagene and Alrek helse dager 'Et kvinneliv - i hormonenes makt?': Panel debate with Silje M. and Anita Prante.
Alrek helsedager: Presentation of the project by Silje M.
Kvinnearbeidshelseutvalget: Presentation of the project and panel discussion by Inger H.
The Norwegian Locomotive Drivers' Association's women's conference for female locomotive drivers by Inger H.
Norwegian Smart Care Cluster: Webinar about women's health - Silje M.
NAV Nordhordaland, Hordaland legeforening og Nordhordaland næringslivslag: Presentation of the project by Silje M.
Miles: Presentation of the project - Inger H.
A2G Arbeidsrettet rehabilitering (ARR) Vestland: Presentation by Una Ø.
Administrative learning day at the Faculty of Science and Technology at UiB: Presentation by Una Ø.S.
The Norwegian Labor Inspection Authority: Webinar - Silje M. og Inger H.
Bergen Sanitetsforening 'Kvinner i fokus: Overgangsalder - vi feirer Menopausedagen!': Presentation by Silje M. and Inger H.
UiB's Safety delegate's competence day: Presentation by Inger H.
Den årlige nasjonale forskningskonferansen for muskeskjeletthelse (MUSS): Presentation by Inger H.
Agency for home-based services (Bergen Municipality)'s professional day for home helpers: Presentation by Silje M.
Tryg insurance Bergen: Presentation by Una Ø.S.
Norwegian Locomotive Drivers' Association safety conference: Presentation by Inger H.
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 Anette F. and Una Ø.
ODA Network - event with focus on menopause and working life (hosted by Mastercard): Presentation by Inger H.
Research conference Faculty of Health and Social Sciences at HVL 2024: Key-note lecture 'Women's health, gender and work' by Anette F.

2023:

Alrekdagene 2023: Debate about women's health
BIFF, UiB Innsikt premiere of the movie 'Periodicals': Presentation by Silje M. together with rector Margareth Hagen
Parat, 'Life phase policy': Presentation by Silje M.
BIFF, Med. fak. premiere of the movie 'Periodicals': Presentation by Inger H. på AHH.
UiB Innsikt, panel debate about 'Why women's health has a low status?': Inger H.
Studentersamfunnet (the student community), panel debate about menopause: Inger H.
NKS, Voss - Una S.
Kvinnehelsekonferansen (Women's Health Conference) arranged by Funksjonshemmendes fellesorganisasjon Vestland: Presentation by Anette F.
Bergen Chamber of Commerce and Industry's Christmas lunch: Panel discussion about KLAR with Inger H.

In the media

2025:

BA 'Overgangsalder og arbeidsliv: Visste ikke at det var så alvorlig.' - Interview with Silje M.
Fedrelandsvennen 'Overgangsalderen kan påvirke kvinners arbeidsliv' - Interview with Silje M. and Leikny H.
Aftenposten 'Ny forskning: Inntektsfall for kvinner i overgangsalderen.' - Interview with Inger H.

2024:

Gjensidige 'Godt forberedt' 'Ovegangsplager øker sykefraværet - trengs mer tilrettelegging' - Interview with Una Ø.
Studvest 'Mindre prestisje å forske på kvinnehelse' - Interview with Inger H.
Hordaland i dag 'Kvinnelige smertepasienter' - Interview with Kjartan V. F.
Dagens Næringsliv 'Kvinner som blør for jobben' - Interview with Silje M.
Article about the webinar at the City Council's department for elderly, health and care - Interview with Anette F.
Article in Folkehelsen 'Målet er at flere kvinner kan stå i jobb i overgangsalderen' - Interview with Inger H.
Op-ed in LO Magasinet 'La oss snakke om overgangsalderen på jobben!'
Ukeslutt P1 'Vi må snakke om overgangsalderen' - Interview with Silje M.
Forskning.no 'Vi kan ikke sammenligne sykefraværet til menn og kvinner' - Article from one of the panel debates at Arendalsuka where Inger H. participated.
Research magazine Apollon at the University of Oslo 'Overgangsalderen påvirker kvinner i arbeidslivet' - Interview with Inger H.
Lokomotivmands tidende 'Kvinnehelse har lav status' - Interview with Inger H.
Kilden kjønnsforskning 'Kvinner jobber i snitt ett år mindre enn menn' - Interview with Inger H.
Frifagbevelse's magazine STYRKE 'Ellen fortalte ikke om plagene hun hadde. Nå vil hun ha mer åpenhet i arbeidslivet' - Interview with Inger H.
Dagens perspektiv 'Kvinner i overgangsalderen risikerer å falle ut av arbeidslivet' - Interview with Inger H.

2023:

Dagens Næringsliv 'Overgangsladeren, en revolusjon er i emning' - Interview with Inger H.
Dag og Tid 'Kostbare kvinneplager' - Interview with Inger H.
God Morgen Hordaland 'Overgangsalder og arbeid' on the world's menopause day - Interview with Silje M.
NRK Dagsrevyen, 'KLAR prosjektet' - Interview with Silje M.
Bergensavisen, 'Får millionstøtte til prosjekt om kvinnehelse: Overganggsalderen' - Interview with Silje M, Una Ø. og Inger H.
Kvinner og Klær +, 'KLAR prosjektet' - Interview with Inger H.