A self-care smartphone application for midlife women with menopausal symptoms: A proof-of-concept study

Objectives A self-care smartphone application, JoyHer Pro , was developed to support midlife women experiencing menopausal symptoms by providing daily symptom tracking, personalized healthcare plan recommendations, and educational content. A proof-of-concept study was conducted to explore its feasibility and preliminary impact. Methods This single-arm pre–post study simulated a health checkup–based model of digital intervention. Ninety-one Japanese women aged 45–55 years with moderate menopausal symptoms used JoyHer Pro for six months. The primary outcome was the change in total scores on the scaled Questionnaire for the Assessment of Climacteric Symptoms in Japanese Women (sQACS) from baseline to six months. Results The six-month follow-up rate was 96%. Participants recorded symptoms on a median of 165 days (90% of the study period) and logged self-care activities on 59% of days. They accessed a median of 42 educational topics (72% of available content). The total sQACS score significantly decreased from baseline to three and six months (both p < 0.001). Participants also reported improvements in their perception and attitude toward menopause, as well as greater self-assessed knowledge and coping ability. Some participants newly sought or planned medical consultation following app use. Conclusion This proof-of-concept study suggests that JoyHer Pro is a feasible digital self-care support tool for midlife women with menopausal symptoms and may provide a basis for future research on integrating digital interventions into preventive care and public health strategies.