Background: The menopausal transition involves multiple biological and psychosocial challenges that may render middle-aged women vulnerable to body image concerns. Objective: The aim of this study was to summarize evidence on the associations between menopause and body image perception in healthy middle-aged women. Design: This study is a systematic review of observational studies. Data sources and methods: Menopause-related exposure measures included menopausal stages, menopausal symptoms, and reproductive hormone levels during the menopausal transition. Studies investigating body image as an outcome, including through a positive (e.g. body self-esteem) or negative (e.g. body dissatisfaction) lens, were considered eligible. Articles published before March 2023 were identified through MEDLINE, PsycINFO, and Embase and underwent double screening, extraction, and quality assessment by two independent investigators. Characteristics and results were summarized using narrative synthesis. Results: A total of 820 non-duplicate records were identified, with 18 observational studies deemed eligible for inclusion after full-text screening. All studies investigating menopausal symptoms and body image ( n = 6) found some significant association between them, with a higher frequency, intensity, or number of symptoms being associated with greater body image concern. Differences in body image perception between menopausal stages were inconsistent across studies ( n = 12), while evidence of potential associations between reproductive hormones and body image was minimal ( n = 2). Findings should be interpreted with caution as 17 of the included studies used a cross-sectional design, and not all studies adjusted their analyses for relevant confounders. Conclusion: Overall, menopausal symptoms showed relatively consistent associations with a more negative body image perception. Additional research is required to understand the potential role of menopausal stages and reproductive hormone levels in the body image perception of middle-aged women and to confirm the direction of reported associations. Registration: PROSPERO—CRD42021241637

Disordered eating refers to a range of eating behaviours and attitudes towards weight and food that can negatively influence physical and psychosocial well-being. The menopausal transition could be a vulnerable period for disordered eating due to major hormonal fluctuations, menopausal symptoms, common body composition shifts, and an increased risk of psychological challenges. This systematic review aimed to summarize evidence on the associations between the menopausal transition and disordered eating. Records published before October 2023 were identified through MEDLINE, PsycINFO, Scopus, Embase, and CINAHL. Studies investigating associations between menopausal status, menopausal symptoms, or reproductive hormone levels, and disordered eating during the menopausal transition were sought. A total of 1301 non-duplicate records were screened, with 10 studies deemed eligible for inclusion. Most included studies used a cross-sectional design ( n = 9). Findings include potentially higher levels of binge eating during the perimenopausal stage, whereas restrictive eating behaviours appeared more common during postmenopause compared to premenopause. Both studies investigating menopausal symptoms found strong positive associations with disordered eating. Nonetheless, findings are equivocal with contrasting results and limited methodological quality across studies. Further research is needed to verify these findings and better assist health professionals in supporting healthy eating behaviours in menopausal women during this complex transition. (PROSPERO ID: CRD42021290736)

Body image is an important aspect of psychological well-being that is influenced by several biological and psychosocial risk factors. Cultural determinants of body image include the patterns of shared beliefs, values, practices, and social norms within a group that can act as a lens through which a person perceives, compares, and evaluates their body. Women tend to experience higher rates of body dissatisfaction than men, with reproductive milestones such as puberty, pregnancy, and postpartum being windows of vulnerability for body image concerns. The menopausal transition is another reproductive stage of women’s lives that involves major physical changes, psychological challenges, and social pressures that can impact body image negatively. However, the literature on the influence of cultural determinants on the body image of menopausal women is limited. Therefore, this perspective review paper aims to discuss the potential role of cultural determinants in influencing body image satisfaction in women undergoing the menopausal transition. To this end, the relationships between different cultural perspectives and body image around the world are first discussed. Sociocultural influences on body image throughout women’s lifespan and reproductive stages are then presented. Finally, cultural perspectives on menopause and aging and their potential influence on the body image of menopausal women are explored. This paper underscores the importance of considering culture and sociocultural factors when studying body image and highlights the need for further research on the cultural determinants of body image during the menopausal transition.

Background: Women are disproportionately affected by depression and generalized anxiety disorder compared to men throughout their lives. Hormonal changes during the menstrual cycle, pregnancy, postpartum, and menopause are often associated with mood disturbances. Evidence suggests that modulating the gut microbiome through gut-targeted interventions may offer a novel therapeutic approach for various mental health conditions. Objective: This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to synthesize evidence from randomized controlled trials (RCTs) on the efficacy of gut microbiome-targeted interventions in improving mental health symptoms in women during key hormonal transitions. Methods: A systematic search was conducted from inception to August 2025 across Embase, MEDLINE (PubMed), Web of Science, PsycINFO, CINAHL, Scopus, FSTA, CENTRAL, the WHO International Clinical Trials Registry Platform, and ClinicalTrials.gov. Two reviewers independently screened, extracted data, and assessed study quality. Methodological quality was evaluated using Cochrane’s risk-of-bias tool (RoB 2.0). Statistical analyses were performed with Comprehensive Meta-Analysis software (version 4). Results: Eleven RCTs were included, of which eight were used in the meta-analyses. Gut microbiome-targeted interventions significantly reduced depressive symptoms (Standardized Mean Difference (SMD) = −0.848; 95% Confidence Interval (CI): −1.470 to −0.226; p = 0.008) and anxiety symptoms (SMD = −0.997; 95% CI: −1.684 to −0.311; p = 0.004) versus controls. Heterogeneity was high (depression: Cochran’s Q = 87.1, I² = 92%, τ² = 0.729; anxiety: Q = 35.3, I² = 89%, τ² = 0.535), but sensitivity analyses confirmed robustness. Meta-regressions indicated that treatment duration was not a significant moderator (depression: p = 0.12; anxiety: p = 0.28). Conclusions: Gut-targeted interventions significantly reduced symptoms of both depression and anxiety, highlighting their potential as complementary therapeutic strategies for managing mood disorders in women across hormonal life stages. However, high heterogeneity limits the ability to determine optimal standardized clinical recommendations, highlighting the need for further research to guide clinical applications and inform individualized approaches to treatment.

Dans les régions canadiennes où les communautés francophones vivent en situation minoritaire, l’offre active (OA) de services en français consiste à proposer des services en français de façon proactive et dès le premier contact. Dans le contexte des services sociaux et de santé, l’OA contribue à la qualité, à la sécurité et à l’équité des soins destinés à ces communautés. La Grille d’observation des indicateurs de compétence en OA a été créée pour évaluer cette compétence chez les futurs professionnels dans un contexte d’apprentissage par simulation. Le présent projet de recherche visait à poursuivre l’évaluation métrologique de la grille en mesurant sa fidélité interjuges grâce au coefficient de corrélation intraclasse (CCI). Les résultats ont démontré un niveau de fidélité globale élevé (CCI = 0,87), ce qui permet d’encourager l’utilisation de la grille dans les milieux d’apprentissage. Des recherches supplémentaires permettront d’évaluer la fidélité de la grille dans divers contextes et d’assurer l’amélioration continue de la formation des futurs professionnels sur l’OA.

Un rapport de 2008 évaluant les retombées du Consortium national de formation en santé soulignait d’importantes lacunes dans la formation des futurs professionnels et professionnelles de la santé et des services sociaux appelés à oeuvrer auprès des communautés francophones en situation minoritaire (CFSM). Ce constat fut le point de départ d’études visant à répondre à des questions comme : Quels sont les contenus de formation sur les besoins des CFSM et sur l’offre active de services sociaux et de santé en français à inclure dans les programmes de formation? Quelles sont les compétences à développer? Quelles sont les stratégies pédagogiques à utiliser? Comment évaluer ces apprentissages? Cet article fait un survol de travaux réalisés depuis 2008 afin d’élaborer un cadre éducatif pour la formation à l’offre active et sur les besoins des CFSM, d’appuyer la préparation des formateurs à enseigner ces contenus, d’expérimenter des stratégies pour intégrer cette formation dans les cours existants et dans les stages ainsi que de développer des outils validés pour évaluer ces apprentissages. Parmi ces activités, les plus récentes ont visé à développer des activités d’apprentissage par la simulation.