DIGITAL MENOPAUSE CARE AS AN EMERGING FemTech FIELD: A REVIEW OF MOBILE APPLICATIONS, WEARABLE SENSORS, AND AI-BASED SYMPTOM MONITORING IN PERI- AND POSTMENOPAUSAL HEALTH

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.31435/ijitss.3(51).2026.5841

Keywords:

Menopause; FemTech; Mobile Health Applications; Wearable Sensors; Artificial Intelligence; Women’s Digital Health

Abstract

Digital menopause care is becoming one of the most important areas of FemTech development, responding to the growing needs of women in the peri- and postmenopausal period, for whom vasomotor symptoms, sleep disturbances, mood swings, urogenital problems, and a decline in quality of life often remain underdiagnosed and undertreated. The aim of this review article is to discuss the current capabilities and limitations of mobile health apps, wearable devices, and AI-based tools in symptom monitoring, self-management support, health education, and the personalization of menopause care. An analysis of available studies indicates that mobile apps and digital health programs can help reduce the severity of menopausal symptoms and improve physical activity, sleep quality, mental well-being, communication with healthcare providers, and patients’ sense of agency. At the same time, the evidence remains heterogeneous, and many solutions require better clinical validation, greater involvement of medical experts, transparent quality standards, and more effective data protection. Issues of accessibility, digital literacy, user representativeness, and the risk of exacerbating health inequalities are also of particular importance. Digital menopause care has the potential to complement traditional treatment models, but its safe implementation requires interdisciplinary collaboration among clinicians, technology designers, researchers, and regulators.

References

Greffin, K., Muehlmann, M., Pauleikhoff, A., Stelling, B., Muehlan, H., Stach, M., Schmidt, S., & Tomczyk, S. (2025). Embracing change: Navigating menopause with the help of mobile health apps in germany. Comprehensive Psychoneuroendocrinology, 24, 100320. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cpnec.2025.100320

AlSwayied, G., Guo, H., Rookes, T., Frost, R., & Hamilton, F. L. (2022). Assessing the acceptability and effectiveness of mobile-based physical activity interventions for midlife women during menopause: Systematic review of the literature. JMIR mHealth and uHealth, 10(12), e40271. https://doi.org/10.2196/40271

Sediva, H., Cartwright, T., Robertson, C., & Deb, S. K. (2022). Behavior change techniques in digital health interventions for midlife women: Systematic review. JMIR mHealth and uHealth, 10(11), e37234. https://doi.org/10.2196/37234

Marvi, N., Mollazadeh, S., Erfanian Arghavanian, F., Atashi, A., & Khadivzadeh, T. (2024). Designing, validation, and evaluation of the expert system of “healthy menopause” and assessing its effect on the management of menopause symptoms: An exploratory mixed-methods study protocol. Reproductive Health, 21, 9. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12978-024-01740-1

Paripoorani, D., Gasteiger, N., Hawley-Hague, H., & Dowding, D. (2023). A systematic review of menopause apps with an emphasis on osteoporosis. BMC Women’s Health, 23, 518. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12905-023-02612-9

Andrews, R., Lancastle, D., Bache, K., & Lacey, A. S. (2023). Does health & her app use improve menopausal symptoms? A longitudinal cohort study. BMJ Open, 13, e077185. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2023-077185

Jahnke, H. R., Brinson, A., Silverman Fine, S., & Henrich, N. (2025). Reduction in menopause symptoms after engagement in a digital health program. DIGITAL HEALTH, 11. https://doi.org/10.1177/20552076251395567

Schei, T. S., & Abernethy, K. (2024). The impact of a specialist-led digital health application on menopause symptoms in the workplace: A single-arm, longitudinal evaluation. Maturitas, 187, 108005. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.maturitas.2024.108005

Amini, M., Shekarchizadeh, P., & Pirzadeh, A. (2025). Can mobile software-based physical activity education enhance the quality of life in perimenopausal women? Journal of education and health promotion, 14, 85. https://doi.org/10.4103/jehp.jehp_1919_23

Santoro, N., Roeca, C., Peters, B. A., & Neal-Perry, G. (2021). The menopause transition: Signs, symptoms, and management options. The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, 106(1), 1–15. https://doi.org/10.1210/clinem/dgaa764

Duffecy, J., Rehman, A., Gorman, S., Huang, Y. L., & Klumpp, H. (2025). Evaluating a mobile digital therapeutic for vasomotor and behavioral health symptoms among women in midlife: Randomized controlled trial. JMIR mHealth and uHealth, 13, e58204. https://doi.org/10.2196/58204

Panjwani, G. A. R., Maddukuri, S., Ansari, R. A., Jain, S., Chavan, M., Gogula, N. S. A. R., Yerrapragada, G., Elangovan, P., Shariff, M. N., Natarajan, T., Janarthanan, J., Karrupiah, S. S., Gopalakrishnan, K., Sood, D., & Arunachalam, S. P. (2025). Artificial intelligence in postmenopausal health: From risk prediction to holistic care. Journal of Clinical Medicine, 14(21), 7651. https://doi.org/10.3390/jcm14217651

Karam, J., Paul, M. M., Shufelt, C., Ravikumar, P., Fratianni, A. M., Oloyede, S., Pagel, E. M., Hedges, M. S., Kapoor, E., Kling, J. M., Cole, K., Chaudhry, R., & Faubion, S. S. (2025). Evaluating the efficacy of a mobile phone app in enhancing menopause knowledge and shared decision-making: Protocol for a randomized controlled trial. JMIR Research Protocols, 14, e76536. https://doi.org/10.2196/76536

Osborne, A. K., & Sillence, E. (2025). Accessing information on menopause transition and the role of digital health technologies: A narrative review. Women & Health, 65(6), 508–521. https://doi.org/10.1080/03630242.2025.2523258

Huang, G., Chen, X., & Liao, C. (2025). AI-driven wearable bioelectronics in digital healthcare. Biosensors, 15(7), 410. https://doi.org/10.3390/bios15070410

Nazir, A., Nazir, A., Jamal, M. S. W., Sadiq, S. ur R., Aman, S., Mustapha, M. J., Lawal, S. O., AbdulKareem, M. O., & Bamigbola, M. F. (2025). Wearable technology and its potential role in cardiovascular health monitoring and disease management. Health Science Reports, 8, e71486. https://doi.org/10.1002/hsr2.71486

Martin-Key, N. A., Funnell, E. L., Benacek, J., Spadaro, B., & Bahn, S. (2024). Intention to use a mental health app for menopause: Health belief model approach. JMIR Formative Research, 8, e60434. https://doi.org/10.2196/60434

Pereira, A. P., Janela, D., Areias, A. C., Molinos, M., Tong, X., Bento, V., Yanamadala, V., Atherton, J., Dias Correia, F., & Costa, F. (2025). Innovating care for postmenopausal women using a digital approach for pelvic floor dysfunctions: Prospective longitudinal cohort study. JMIR mHealth and uHealth, 13, e68242. https://doi.org/10.2196/68242

Sillence, E., Osborne, A. K., Claisse, C., & Durrant, A. C. (2026). Understanding the challenges of using digital health technologies for menopause information. Patient Education and Counseling, 142, 109375. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pec.2025.109375

Guille, C., Jahnke, H., Shah, N., & Henrich, N. (2025). Evolving the health care service model for menopause with digital health. Women’s Health Issues, 35(4), 230–232. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.whi.2025.03.005

Liao, W., Ma, C., Liu, X., & Sun, Z. (2025). The chain mediation role of self-efficacy, health literacy, and physical exercise in the relationship between internet use and older adults’ health: Cross-sectional questionnaire study. Journal of Medical Internet Research, 27, e73242. https://doi.org/10.2196/73242

Rossi, M., & Rehman, S. (2025). Integrating artificial intelligence into telemedicine: Evidence, challenges, and future directions. Cureus, 17(8), e90829. https://doi.org/10.7759/cureus.90829

Dixon, S., Keating, S., McNiven, A., Edwards, G., Turner, P., Knox-Peebles, C., Taghinejadi, N., Vincent, K., James, O., & Hayward, G. (2023). What are important areas where better technology would support women’s health? Findings from a priority setting partnership. BMC Women’s Health, 23, 667. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12905-023-02778-2

The North American Menopause Society. (2015). Algorithm and mobile app for menopausal symptom management and hormonal/non-hormonal therapy decision making: A clinical decision-support tool from the north American menopause society. Menopause, 22(3), 247–253. https://doi.org/10.1097/GME.0000000000000373

Baltzer, C., & Bonacina, S. (2023). Enhancing women’s health: An assessment of data privacy and security of menopause FemTech applications. In M. Giacomini et al. (Eds.), Telehealth ecosystems in practice (pp. 155–159). IOS Press. https://doi.org/10.3233/SHTI230765

Jacobs, N., & Evers, J. (2023). Ethical perspectives on femtech: Moving from concerns to capability-sensitive designs. Bioethics, 37(5), 430–439. https://doi.org/10.1111/bioe.13148

Sillence, E., Osborne, A. K., Kemp, E., & McKellar, K. (2025). Menopause apps: Personal health tracking, empowerment and epistemic injustice. DIGITAL HEALTH, 11. https://doi.org/10.1177/20552076251330782

Lu, L., Zhang, J., Xie, Y., Gao, F., Xu, S., Wu, X., & Ye, Z. (2020). Wearable health devices in health care: Narrative systematic review. JMIR mHealth and uHealth, 8(11), e18907. https://doi.org/10.2196/18907

Aziz, S., Ali, A. M. A., Aslam, H., Abd-alrazaq, A. A., AlSaad, R., Alajlani, M., Ahmad, R., Khalil, L., Ahmed, A., & Sheikh, J. (2025). Wearable artificial intelligence for sleep disorders: Scoping review. Journal of Medical Internet Research, 27, e65272. https://doi.org/10.2196/65272

Freedman, R. R. (2014). Menopausal hot flashes: Mechanisms, endocrinology, treatment. The Journal of Steroid Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, 142, 115–120. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jsbmb.2013.08.010

Downloads

Published

2026-09-24

How to Cite

Woźniak, M., Szymkowiak, J., Zalewska, Z., & Reczka, K. (2026). DIGITAL MENOPAUSE CARE AS AN EMERGING FemTech FIELD: A REVIEW OF MOBILE APPLICATIONS, WEARABLE SENSORS, AND AI-BASED SYMPTOM MONITORING IN PERI- AND POSTMENOPAUSAL HEALTH. International Journal of Innovative Technologies in Social Science, 5(3(51). https://doi.org/10.31435/ijitss.3(51).2026.5841

Most read articles by the same author(s)