About this project

What is the project about?

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) affects around 2.5 percent of the population in Aotearoa New Zealand and occurs 3 times more frequently in women than men. Most women are diagnosed with RA in their 40s to 50s which is around the same time they experience perimenopause. Perimenopause is the transition to menopause when hormone levels decline and symptoms like irregular periods and hot flushes start. Perimenopause and RA each bring significant challenges, but when they occur together, we know little about the combined experience or effective ways to manage it. The effect of the demands of family and careers, bodily experiences and sense of self on women's ability to uphold personal beliefs and values remains unexplored.  

This project will use cooperative inquiry (CI) which is a small-group action research method. It will group similar women together to collaboratively explore issues of mutual concern over time (3-4 meetings), facilitating them to think deeply about what matters to them. Using CI gives participants the opportunity to explore strategies and solutions. The insights will generate new, more liberatory knowledge together. This will create rich qualitative data. 

The findings of this research will be shared with Arthritis NZ, a national charity that provides information, advice and support to people living with joint pain and those diagnosed with any of the more than 140 forms of arthritis. The collaboration with Arthritis NZ ensures that the insights gained from this study will not only enrich academic understanding but also inform resources, practical strategies and interventions to help women with RA navigate menopause.