Menopause is a significant life stage that can involve complex physical and psychological changes. For women with a mild intellectual disability (MID), these changes may be even more challenging due to communication barriers, limited health literacy, and fragmented care. Despite this, little is known about how these women experience menopause or receive treatment. Current clinical guidelines rarely address this group, leaving healthcare providers without clear strategies for tailored support.This study aims to explore how women with MID experience menopause, what support they receive, whether symptoms are recognized, and what barriers exist in accessing appropriate care. We also aim to identify gaps in clinical practice and outline priorities for future research and guideline development.We use a qualitative design based on semi-structured interviews with three stakeholder groups: women with MID who are experiencing menopause, informal caregivers such as family members or support workers, and healthcare providers including general practitioners and specialists. Interviews focus on symptom recognition, treatment experiences, communication challenges, and decision-making processes. Data will be analyzed thematically to identify patterns and unmet needs.Preliminary results will be presented and discussed in detail.The absence of tailored guidelines and structured care pathways for women with MID during menopause creates inequities in health outcomes. There is an urgent need for research on symptom prevalence and accessible communication tools adapted to this population.Menopause care for women with MID is an overlooked area in clinical practice. Developing inclusive guidelines and training for healthcare professionals is essential to ensure equitable, person-centered care.

The Menofood project is a citizen science project, addressing real-world health questions by involving citizens in research. We investigate the relationship between nutrition, menopausal symptoms and cardiovascular health. Many women adjust their diets during menopause to relieve symptoms such as hot flashes, anxiety, and poor sleep, yet these changes may also impact heart health negatively. Despite this, little is known about what women actually do in practice. Many experiment extensively with their own health, often guided by conflicting advice. To address this gap, Menofood combines four complementary studies: a pragmatic literature review, a nationwide crowdsourcing study, a focus group study, and a cohort study. The project works with a community of over 800 women and 20 citizen scientists who actively contribute to research design, data collection, interpretation, and communication.This presentation focuses on the crowdsourcing and focus group study, which aimed to collect real-world experiences with diets, herbs, supplements, and hormones during menopause, identify patterns in self-management strategies, and uncover gaps between public health messaging and lived experiences.A campaign was launched inviting women to share their experiences through an online platform. Participants described symptoms, dietary adjustments, and sources of information. Next, more in-depth focus groups were held.Findings reveal a wide range of approaches to managing menopausal symptoms through nutrition and complementary strategies. Women reported experimenting with specific foods, herbal remedies, and dietary supplements, often in combination with hormone therapy. Practices and motivations varied greatly, influenced by multiple and often conflicting information sources. These findings highlight the lack of clear, evidence-based guidance and the complexity of self-management strategies.Crowdsourcing proved effective for engaging a large, motivated community and generating rich qualitative data. Insights underscore the need for personalized, evidence-based guidance and demonstrate how participatory approaches can bridge research and practice.The Menofood project illustrates the potential of citizen science to co-create knowledge that reflects both scientific evidence and lived experience. Beyond generating insights, this approach delivers a knowledge agenda that identifies priority areas for future research on nutrition, menopause, and cardiovascular health, informing clinicians about what patients are actually doing and where guidance is needed.

Osteoporosis is a worldwide public health concern. Proper nutrition plays an important role in osteoporosis prevention and treatment.This paper aims to provide a correlation between dietary diversity score and osteoporosis in Iranian elderly and provide some recommendations for improvement.We recruited 426 elderly aged 45–85 from southeast of Iran in this study. Dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) was used for measuring the bone mineral density of lumbar vertebrae and femoral neck. Convenience sampling method was utilized to select the participants, which included two groups: case (n = 213) and control (n = 213). Data was collected using demographic and information questionnaires, a valid 147 item food frequency questionnaire, and a physical activity questionnaire. Statistical analyses were conducted using SPSS-26, and p-values less than 0.05 were deemed to be statistically significant.The mean ± standard deviation of dietary diversity score (DDS) was lower in participants with osteoporosis cases than in control (p < 0.001).  After adjusting the confounding variables, the risk of osteoporosis had an inverse relationship with the diversity score of vegetable (OR = 0.17; 95%CI: 0.06–0.24), bread and cereal (OR = 0.31; 95% CI: 0.04–0.75) and fruit (OR = 0.36; 95%CI: 0.26–0.49) (p < 0.05). Nevertheless, no visible correlation was seen between the triads of DDS, dairy and meat diversity score, and osteoporosis.The southeast of Iran, bordering Pakistan and Afghanistan, suffers from poor nutrition and low socio-economic status. This is the first study to demonstrate the correlation between osteoporosis and food diversity in southeastern Iran. Elderly people with a low food diversity score have limited access to healthcare services. This region faces an increasing burden of non-communicable diseases, including osteoporosis, in the near future.The study found the significance of addressing osteoporosis risk with the diversity score of food in older adults. Healthcare policymakers and administrators can use these findings to identify and alleviate dominant factors contributing to osteoporosis.

Disasters pose significant health risks, particularly for vulnerable populations such as mothers and infants. In emergency settings, continuous access to breast milk—the safest and most reliable source of infant nutrition—is frequently disrupted by psychological stress, lack of privacy, inadequate hygiene conditions, loss of social support, and the uncontrolled distribution of breast-milk substitutes.This study aimed to examine infant feeding-related challenges experienced by mothers residing in a container city following the magnitude 7.4 earthquake that caused widespread destruction in XXX.This analytical cross-sectional study employed a mixed-methods design. In the quantitative phase, a questionnaire including sociodemographic characteristics and the 17-item Infant Feeding Attitudes Scale (IFAS) was administered to 115 mothers living in the container city. In the qualitative phase, in-depth interviews were conducted with 15 mothers selected through purposive sampling, with interview durations ranging from 6 to 32 minutes. Quantitative data were analyzed using DataBeeg 1.0, and qualitative data were analyzed with MAXQDA version 24.Most participants reported substantial difficulties in accessing appropriate breastfeeding spaces after the disaster, as well as experiencing cracked or painful nipples and limited access to healthcare services. The majority of mothers received infant formula as humanitarian aid; however, key safety criteria such as expiration dates and age appropriateness were often overlooked. IFAS scores were significantly associated with the number of children (p<0.05) and were positively correlated with maternal age (r=0.268) and the age of the first child (r=0.222). Qualitative analysis identified three main themes: post-disaster experiences, infant feeding experiences, and expectations. Predominant challenges included poor hygiene, lack of privacy, and heightened anxiety. Although breast milk was widely perceived as healthy and protective, many mothers reported a perceived reduction in milk supply due to stress.The findings are consistent with the existing literature indicating that post-disaster conditions negatively affect breastfeeding practices through both environmental and psychological stressors. Furthermore, the widespread and uncontrolled distribution of infant formula poses additional risks by undermining breastfeeding practices and increasing the likelihood of unsafe feeding.These findings underscore the need for comprehensive, coordinated, and sustainable mother and baby-centered interventions within disaster management strategies.

Breastfeeding provides major health benefits, yet France reports comparatively short breastfeeding duration. Understanding early determinants is essential, particularly in primary care.To identify factors associated with early breastfeeding cessation and examine the involvement of general practitioners (GPs) in breastfeeding support.We conducted a prospective observational study between October 2024 and March 2025 in two French maternity units, including one accredited by the Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative (BFHI). Breastfeeding women ≥18 years completed structured questionnaires at discharge, three months (M3) and six months (M6). Primary outcome was breastfeeding duration; secondary outcome was maternal satisfaction. Additional items described healthcare professionals consulted and breastfeeding-related experiences.Among the 128 included women, 46.9% were still breastfeeding at three months and 28.1% at six months. Among those who stopped before six months, the median duration was 12 weeks (IQR 7.5–16). Prenatal breastfeeding information had been received by 62% of participants, almost exclusively from midwives (91%). Only 7% of women who sought help for breastfeeding difficulties consulted a GP, and those followed exclusively by GPs tended to breastfeed for a shorter period (median 6 vs 12 weeks, p=0.13). Breastfeeding pain was reported by nearly half at M3 and was associated with lower maternal satisfaction (5.9 vs 7.3; p=0.014) and a shorter, although non-significant, duration (8 vs 12 weeks, p=0.062). Exposure to judgmental remarks was strongly associated with lower maternal satisfaction, and women still breastfeeding at six months were statistically less exposed to such remarks than those who had weaned earlier. Giving birth in a BFHI-accredited maternity was associated with longer duration (23 vs 10 weeks; p=0.005). Maternal satisfaction with breastfeeding support was also associated with perceived support (p=0.040), yet 33% reported a weaning that was imposed or not aligned with their initial intentions.Institutional and relational environments influenced breastfeeding outcomes. BFHI-accredited care supported longer duration, while judgmental remarks, insufficient support and breastfeeding pain were linked to poorer outcomes. GPs were rarely involved, and exclusive GP follow-up tended to be associated with shorter duration.Better integration of general practitioners into structured postpartum care may help sustain breastfeeding and reduce premature weaning.

Osteoporosis carries a high economic and social disease burden, affecting one in three women and one in five men over the age of 50 worldwide. Worldwide, osteoporosis is estimated to affect 200 million women. The rate of bone mineral density (BMD) decline accelerates dramatically in perimenopause such that almost half of all women will have osteopaenia or osteoporosis following menopause. Osteoporosis prevention involves arresting BMD decline primarily through lifestyle modifications, such as structured exercise programs and optimisation of nutrition and calcium intake. However, osteoporosis incidence in women continues to rise.To explore perspectives of xxx General Practitioners of osteoporosis prevention in perimenopausal women and associated barriers to preventative care advice and implementation.15 General Practitioners (GPs) were interviewed on their experience of osteoporosis prevention in perimenopausal women using semi-structured interviews based on the theoretical domains and COM-B frameworks. Interviews were recorded, de-identified and analysed using and inductive and deductive approach utilising NVivo software.Barriers to implementation of osteoporosis prevention consultations with perimenopausal women include competition from multiple presenting complaints, complexity of guideline recommendations and restrictions on rebates for screening investigations. GPs who prioritised preventative care actively screened for and discussed preventative health activities with women prior to menopause. GPs reported varied comfort with complex guideline recommendations and variable grades of associated evidence.This study explores the barriers to implementation of osteoporosis prevention in primary care. The findings demonstrate areas for improvement of preventative health strategies for women, with potential behaviour change for practitioners. Health system changes to address gaps in funding for screening programs in women in this age group are also potential sites of improvement and we will reflect on a new xxx health assessment strategy in perimenopause that may serve to address this gap.GP reported barriers to osteoporosis prevention in perimenopausal women provide insight into potential areas to address to optimise clinical practice. Increased health service prioritisation of preventative care and increased access to DEXA scans for at-risk populations warrant future exploration.

Menopause transitions significantly impact women's quality of life through vasomotor, psychological, and physical symptoms affecting daily functioning and well-being. While social support is widely recognized as beneficial for various health outcomes, its specific role in managing menopausal symptoms remains inconsistent across research literature, with conflicting findings regarding its effectiveness for different symptom types.This literature review evaluated current evidence on how social support influences menopausal symptom management, assessed the effectiveness of social support interventions compared to lifestyle modifications, and identified barriers to implementation in primary care settings.A literature search was conducted in PubMed, Cochrane Library, and Web of Science databases for peer-reviewed studies published from 2015 to 2024. Inclusion criteria required original research examining quantifiable relationships between social support measures and validated menopausal symptom assessments. Data extraction focused on symptom types, measurement methods, and intervention outcomes. Twenty-three studies met the inclusion criteria.Analysis revealed that participation in structured social groups correlated with significantly reduced depressive symptom severity (p<0.001) and improved quality-of-life scores in four longitudinal studies. However, a rigorous nine-year prospective cohort study found no significant association between social support and vasomotor symptom frequency or intensity after adjusting for confounding variables (OR=1.08). Stress significantly exacerbated vasomotor symptoms (21% increased frequency), but social support failed to demonstrate a buffering effect in multivariate models. Complementary lifestyle interventions showed superior evidence for symptom amelioration compared to social support alone, particularly whole-food plant-based diets, regular physical activity, restorative sleep, substance avoidance, and stress reduction techniques. Primary care implementation barriers included time constraints (81%) and difficulties facilitating behavior change (89%).Evidence suggests social support contributes meaningfully to psychological well-being and quality of life during menopause but demonstrates limited direct effects on vasomotor symptoms. The superiority of lifestyle interventions highlights the importance of multi-component approaches in menopausal care.Primary care protocols should integrate validated social support assessments alongside evidence-based lifestyle interventions for comprehensive menopausal management. Future research should develop optimized integrated models and evaluate practical implementation strategies for primary care settings.