BU postgraduate researchersBournemouth University (BU) hosted the Women’s Health Research Symposium 2024, showcasing women’s health research in Dorset. The event provided an opportunity for academics, clinicians, researchers, and third-sector organisations to network, discuss ideas, and outline key priorities in women’s healthcare.
Helen Crook, Programme Manager - Transformation Delivery at NHS Dorset started the event by talking about the Dorset Women’s Health Programme, which aims to reduce waitlist times and improve accessibility to women’s health services, guided by the Women’s Health Strategy for England. As part of the programme, NHS Dorset is developing a virtual hub as a central point of reference for all information, education, awareness, self-help, and service provision concerning women’s health across the lifespan. They have conducted surveys and focus groups with support from third-sector organisations including Dorset Women CIC to understand women’s barriers to accessing healthcare.
Third-party organisations are closing the gap in research on the needs of the most vulnerable members of our community. Marianne Storey, Chair of Dorset Women CIC discussed the Dorset Women’s Charter which sets out ten standards of public life that women and girls in Dorset should be able to expect their representatives, decision-makers, employers, policymakers, and leaders, to advocate for and uphold on their behalf. Marianne said, “These standards are based on evidence and focus on actions that are required to achieve them.”
Professor Michael Dooley, Visiting Professor at Bournemouth University discussed what we can all do to influence women’s health. He said, “You can make a difference, act within your area of influence, have courage and act with compassion, people can and will change.” He spoke about a holistic approach to healthcare, the importance of healthcare professionals understanding patients' specific concerns and the link between mental and physical health, “health is one”. Additionally, he spoke about the benefits of social prescribing and a sense of community belongingness on health. And, he spoke about generational health and the impact of diet on life expectancy supported by findings from Health Equity in England: The Marmot Review 10 Years On.
Following this, BU postgraduate researchers introduced their research studies:
Rosie Harper: Nudging: a theoretical concept for a very practical approach to pelvic floor muscle training
Rosie discussed clinical trials at Poole Hospital looking at the use of digital nudges (Squeezy app) to support patients and clinicians.
Pritika Gurung: A clinical audit of cervical screening amongst women in a UK Primary Care setting
Dr Malika Felton: Cold water swimming and pregnancy: a scoping review and consensus recommendations
Dr Sarah Hillier: Exploring the lived experience of LGBTQ+ parents who breast/chest-fed their children
Umarah Mahmood: Barriers to breast cancer screening in Black, Asian, and Minority Ethnic (BAME) women in the UK
Umarah spoke about barriers including, shame and taboos of breast cancer, lack of understanding of the symptoms of breast cancer, language barrier between healthcare professionals and patients and the potential for faith-based interventions to support women within the BAME community.
Sara Ahmadi: Investigating whether new mothers are receiving their recommended 6-8 weeks postnatal checks and to what extent these checks comply with NICE guidelines
Sara proposed suggestions to improve postnatal checks based on her research findings - ensuring that family planning services are not isolated but integrated with other health checks, focusing on young individuals and those with prior pregnancy complications, and establishing mechanisms for patients who miss any checks.
Eunhee Kim: Understanding what affects health and wellbeing during menopause
Eunhee Kim, postgraduate researcherEunhee said, “People build menopause representations to set coping strategies for dealing with various struggles related to menopause”. She spoke about her research on the impact of menopause on autistic people. She said, “autistic people are more vulnerable to increased levels of anxiety and depression…there are high levels of camouflaging behaviour amongst autistic females.”
Additionally, Dr Alyx Taylor, Associate Professor, AECC University College introduced her work ‘Supporting midwives in identifying perinatal mental health needs’. She spoke about the use of screening tools such as the Parent-to-Infant Bonding Scale (PIBS) an eight-item self-report scale to measure bonding in mothers and Whooley Questions, a screening tool for major depressive disorder. She is looking at developing screening tools which link to online resources to support information/intervention. She also highlighted the need for the inclusion of both partners in the parent-infant-bonding scale and cultural barriers in responding to questions about mental health.
The event concluded with a panel discussion with BU’s Women’s Academic Network and research centres including the Centre for Midwifery & Women’s Health, Ageing & Dementia Research Centre, and Centre for Seldom Heard Voices.
Many speakers’ own experiences have informed their research/specialist areas. What was evident from the discussions was the collective drive to implement positive change in response to evidence-based research and discussion with women in Dorset.
