Menopause is a critical life transition, marking the end of menstrual cycles. This phase is often accompanied by a wide range of symptoms, varying in type and severity, which can create feelings of confusion and uncertainty. These challenges can significantly affect women’s quality of life, negatively influencing their physical health and emotional well-being. Previous studies on menopause information seeking have suggested that women feel comfortable seeking and making sense of their menopause experiences through sharing their lived experiences in communities. Accordingly, women turn to social media to find support and share their lived experiences of menopause. Unfortunately, since anyone can share their own experiences and opinions, the information provided on social media may be inaccurate, incomplete, contradictory and prone to misinformation. This project seeks to identify misinformation types in social media posts and to provide credible learning pathways about menopause on online platforms.

The aim of the project is to identify the key misinformation typologies in menopause information-related posts shared on social media and to build and evaluate a digital tool that addresses the misinformation with scientific evidence. The project’s main outcome is to support women to learn about their menopause body experiences through social media interactions more effectively by using credible information.

Further information

You may contact Dr. Catherine Chavula (catherine.chavula@strath.ac.uk) or Professor Ian Ruthven (ian.ruthven@strath.ac.uk)  to discuss this PhD project before submitting an application.