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 sociocultural phenomenon. Clinical recognition of colloquial idioms, integration into chronic disease and mental health services, and workplace protections are urgently needed. Findings also inform strategies for Ghanaian diaspora women in high-income countries, where their menopausal needs remain underserved.
Tweneboah-Koduah et al. (Fri,) studied this question.
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