Chronic pain during peri-menopause - an ethnographic study
Research type
Research Study
Full title
The emergence of chronic pain during peri-menopause: a mixed-methods ethnographic study of women attending a secondary care pain management service.
IRAS ID
311041
Contact name
Catherine Borra
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University College London
Clinicaltrials.gov Identifier
Z6364106/2022/04/119 social research, Data Protection (UCL)
Duration of Study in the UK
1 years, 10 months, 30 days
Research summary
The incidence of chronic pain (CP), defined as pain lasting longer than three months, is on the rise, and poses significant threats to the physical, social and psychological wellbeing in those who live with it. While pain is an experience common to most people at some point during their life, CP conditions are more common in women. The perimenopause (PM) – defined as the period of menstrual irregularity prior to the final menstrual period (FMP) and the subsequent 12 months – is a sensitive period in which CP may emerge, though its multifactorial relationship with CP is poorly understood. This study will use an ethnographic approach to investigate the following questions:
- What is the experience of women with chronic pain onset during peri-menopause who attend NHS pain management services?
- How does the experience of chronic pain during peri-menopause affect engagement with everyday life activities and plans?
- How are gynaecological events throughout the life-course (eg. Pregnancy, menstruation, gynaecological disease) perceived to relate to chronic pain onset at peri-menopause?
- How does gender identity relate to the experience of chronic pain during peri-menopause?Results are expected to provide a better understanding of the social and healthcare needs of this patient group, which may inform further research in this poorly explored topic, and clinical service development.
REC name
North West - Greater Manchester West Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
23/NW/0068
Date of REC Opinion
30 May 2023
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion