Supporting the health of women at work: a realist review of pregnancy, postnatal, and menopause workplace interventions and their effectiveness
Start date
May 2024End date
May 2026Overview
The current workforce in the United Kingdom (UK) includes 15.7 million women (ONS, 2022). Women encounter reproductive health inequities at various stages in their careers, including before pregnancy, during pregnancy, postnatal return to work, and during menopause.
This has a significant impact on their physical and mental well-being, potentially leading them to reduce their working hours or leave the workforce altogether, resulting in social and economic disparities (Connolly and Regan, 2022).
These inequities, including inadequate support for miscarriages, inadequate breastfeeding facilities, and a lack of understanding around (peri) menopause, persist despite legal protections under the Equality Act 2010.
Addressing these inequities requires effective interventions that consider contextual factors. Therefore, this research, funded by NIHR PHR aims to understand how the workplace can support women's health during pregnancy, as they return to work postnatally, and during menopause. We will co-produce evidence-based recommendations for how employers, managers, and Human Resource Management (HRM) professionals can more effectively support women at work during these life experiences.
This study is led by Chief investigator Dr Ruth Abrams, and joint investigator Dr Lilith Whiley, Sussex Business School.
If you would like further information on this project, please email r.abrams@surrey.ac.uk, or view the NIHR project page.
Funding amount
£364,582.54
Funder
NIHR PHR
Team
Chief investigator
Dr Ruth Abrams
Lecturer
Biography
Ruth is an organisational psychologist whose research focuses on the primary care workforce, and primary care service design, delivery and evaluation. Ruth is particularly interested in the organisation of General Practice, and women in healthcare. She uses qualitative research methods and undertakes evidence syntheses, often using realist approaches. Her current projects are funded by NIHR Public Health Research and NIHR Health and Social Care Delivery Research.
Ruth is the Impact Champion for the School of Health Sciences, and academic co-lead for Research Culture: People and Environment. She is also currently acting as interim Director of Research as part of a tripartite arrangement until July 2025. Ruth established and now co-leads the Realist Health and Social care workforce Special Interest Group (SIG). She sits on the Editorial Board for BJGP and BMC Medicine, and is a Fellow of the RSA.
Joint investigator
Dr Lilith Whiley
Sussex Business School
Team member
Professor Cath Taylor
Professor of Healthcare Workforce Organisation and Wellbeing
Biography
I am Professor of Healthcare Workforce Organisation and Wellbeing in the School of Health Sciences at the University of Surrey. I have worked in Health Services Research since 1997, following completion of a Psychology degree at Swansea University. My academic career began at Imperial College London (1997-2002) followed by Kings College London (2002-2017).
My main research interests are improving the wellbeing of the NHS workforce and assessing and improving multidisciplinary team working in healthcare teams. In relation to the wellbeing of NHS staff, I have conducted national cohort studies of mental health in hospital consultants, and worked alongside Professor Jill Maben (also at University of Surrey) to complete a national evaluation of Schwartz Center Rounds in the UK, funded by the NIHR. I am currently funded by NIHR to complete a realist synthesis aimed at understanding how to improve mental wellbeing in nurses, midwives and paramedics. My work in relation to multidisciplinary teams led to the development of a cancer multidisciplinary team assessment and feedback tool (named MDT-FIT) that won QiC Oncology Digital Innovation of the Year in 2016. I am currently working with Surrey and Sussex Cancer Alliance to support and evaluate improvements to multidisciplinary team meetings across three tumour pathways.
Andreia Fonseca De Paiva
Research Fellow
Biography
Andreia F. de Paiva is an interdisciplinary researcher with a keen interest in promoting health and well-being and supportive approaches across the lifespan. She is currently working as a research fellow working on the NIHR159142 Public Health Researched funded project - Supporting the health of women at work: A realist review of pregnancy, postnatal, and menopause workplace interventions and their effectiveness, led by Dr Ruth Abrams (University of Surrey), and Dr Lilith Whiley (Sussex Business School).