"You're more engaged when you're listening to somebody tell their story": A qualitative exploration into the mechanisms of the podcast 'menopause: unmuted' for communicating health information.

OBJECTIVE: While health podcasts can be effective in reducing stigma and increasing knowledge, we know little about their mechanisms of action. This qualitative study explored the mechanisms of how women connected with the podcast 'menopause: unmuted', which presented menopause information in a storytelling format. METHODS: A diverse sample of 30 women aged 40-60 years were interviewed after listening to the podcast. Interviews covered participant's views and perceptions of the stories presented. Transcripts were analyzed thematically. FINDINGS: Two overarching themes were identified. 'Openness and authenticity' describes the value of personal stories told in an authentic way by real experts-by-experience. 'Relatability and representation' explores participants' emotional reaction to the podcast, influenced by the extent to which they identified with the stories and storytellers on the podcast. CONCLUSIONS: Authenticity and relatability were identified as key mechanisms through which participants connected with audio stories, consistent with Fisher's narrative theory. These findings have important implications for the application of storytelling in podcasts designed to influence health behaviors. PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS: Diverse stories representing a range of demographic characteristics and experiences are needed when creating podcasts about health information to increase listener's relatability and connection.

"It just makes me feel a little less alone": a qualitative exploration of the podcast Menopause: Unmuted on women's perceptions of menopause.

OBJECTIVE: Menopause can negatively impact women's quality of life, with many women reporting inadequate information and support. Podcasts have grown in popularity in recent years and have been found to be accessible methods for increasing knowledge and challenging perceptions of stigmatized topics. The current research aimed to understand the impact of the podcast "menopause: unmuted" on women's menopause-related knowledge, understanding, and communication practices. METHODS: A diverse sample of 30 women aged 40 to 60 years listened to the podcast series, which focused on menopause stories, before taking part in semistructured interviews to discuss the impact of the podcast on how they understood and communicated about menopause. The interviews were analyzed thematically. RESULTS: Two overarching themes were identified in the data. A "journey of knowledge gain" explores participants' understanding of menopause before listening to the podcast and describes how this is deepened by hearing and connecting with women's stories. "Reframing menopause" describes the impact of the podcast, where women reflect on the value of communication amongst women, challenge and re-evaluate the stigmatization of menopause, and discuss ways to make positive behavioral changes in their lives. CONCLUSIONS: The podcast "menopause: unmuted" helped women to learn about the menopause experience, have a greater sense of belonging to a community of women, and feel empowered to make changes in their own lives. Sharing stories via podcasts has potential as an accessible and impactful medium to educate women and reduce the widespread stigma associated with menopause.