ArticleDigital health
Menstrual cycle-associated symptoms and workplace productivity in US employees: A cross-sectional survey of users of the Flo mobile phone app.
Article in Digital health. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 28 papers, 3 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
28 citing papers in PubMed, 3 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 34 citations in OpenAlex.
- Self-management strategies for menstrual cycle symptoms: a systematic review.BMC women's health · 2026Pooled it
- Effectiveness of digital healthcare in managing menstrual symptoms: a systematic review.Women's health nursing (Seoul, Korea) · 2025Pooled it
- Seeking the root causes of menstrual pain: A systematic review of biomarkers in menstrual effluent.Molecular painPooled it
- Efficacy of the Flo App in Improving Health Literacy, Menstrual and General Health, and Well-Being in Women: Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial.JMIR mHealth and uHealth · 2024Trial
- Work-Related Quality of Life and Health Issues Among United States Anesthesiologists: Results of a National Survey.Mayo Clinic proceedings. Innovations, quality & outcomes · 2026Article
- Article
- A novel transcutaneous auricular neurostimulation electrode configuration for treatment of heavy menstrual bleeding: an open-label trial.Bioelectronic medicine · 2026Article
- Decoding menstrual health across the lifespan: a scoping review of digital health tools in research.medRxiv : the preprint server for health sciences · 2026Article
- Decoding menstrual health across the lifespan: a scoping review of digital health tools in research.npj women's health · 2026Article
- Discrimination, Stigma and Taboo Towards the Three Ms' Working Body: A Systematic Review Around Menstruation, Maternity and Menopause.International journal of women's health · 2026Review
- A health economics assessment of self-care with over-the-counter ibuprofen in dysmenorrhoea, migraine and acute rhinosinusitis in the United Kingdom.Cost effectiveness and resource allocation : C/E · 2025Article
- Dysmenorrhea among working women and its effect on their work productivity and activity impairment.The Journal of the Egyptian Public Health Association · 2025Article
- A survey assessing the impact of symptoms related to the menstrual cycle and perceptions of workplace productivity: considerations for employer-sponsored menstrual health programs.BMC women's health · 2025Article
- Motivations for Use, User Experience and Quality of Reproductive Health Mobile Applications in a Pre-Menopausal User Base: A Scoping Review.Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland) · 2025Review
- Digital Platforms and Educational Tools for Enhancing Menstrual Health: A Scoping Review.International journal of sexual health : official journal of the World Association for Sexual Health · 2025Article
- Article
- Translation and Validation of the Daily Record of Severity of Problems (DRSP) Scale in Indonesian Version.Nursing research and practice · 2025Article
- Transcutaneous auricular neurostimulation to reduce heavy menstrual bleeding in women with and without von Willebrand disease.Frontiers in medicine · 2025Article
- Exploring the Association Between Body Mass Index and Dysmenorrhea in Adolescent Girls in Uganda.Women's reproductive health (Philadelphia, Pa.) · 2025Article
- Identifying predictors of formal help-seeking for premenstrual symptoms: A machine learning analysis of symptom, functional impairment and barriers data.PLOS mental health · 2025Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
8 authors at 4 institutions in 3 countries.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Objective: Mood and physical symptoms related to the menstrual cycle affect women's productivity at work, often leading to absenteeism. However, employer-led initiatives to tackle these issues are lacking. Digital health interventions focused on women's health (such as the Flo app) could help fill this gap. Methods: 1867 users of the Flo app participated in a survey exploring the impact of their menstrual cycle on their workplace productivity and the role of Flo in mitigating some of the identified issues. Results: The majority reported a moderate to severe impact of their cycle on workplace productivity, with 45.2% reporting absenteeism (5.8 days on average in the previous 12 months). 48.4% reported not receiving any support from their manager and 94.6% said they were not provided with any specific benefit for issues related to their menstrual cycle, with 75.6% declaring wanting them. Users stated that the Flo app helped them with the management of menstrual cycle symptoms (68.7%), preparedness and bodily awareness (88.7%), openness with others (52.5%), and feeling supported (77.6%). Users who reported the most positive impact of the Flo app were 18-25% less likely to report an impact of their menstrual cycle on their productivity and 12-18% less likely to take days off work for issues related to their cycle. Conclusions: Apps such as Flo could equip individuals with tools to better cope with issues related to their menstrual cycle and facilitate discussions around menstrual health in the workplace.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.