Spanish women are, in general, quite satisfied with their lives, with a score of 67 out of 100. This is one of the data provided by the II Women’s Well-being Report that Kantar Hoffmann has produced for the company Gedeon Richter, based on a survey of 7,000 women aged 16-59 in France, Germany, Italy, Portugal, Spain, Sweden and the United Kingdom in August 2022.
Gedeon Richter is a leading women’s health pharmaceutical company, offering innovative treatments for all stages of your life. Her commitment to women goes beyond her health, contributing to her psychological and social well-being in all the countries where she is present, thanks to different CSR programs. For this reason, in 2017, she carried out a survey to find out the general state of women in Western Europe, asking them about their family, their health or their work, among other topics of interest.
In August 2022, the company carried out the same survey to check if there were variations in the perception of women about their well-being and the level of satisfaction with their lives, being able to compare the data, not only with other neighboring countries, but also with those contributed 5 years ago. These reports provide an in-depth view of the daily lives of women, covering all those issues that influence their well-being and, consequently, allow drawing attention to the problems, concerns and needs that women face in their day to day, which They will be of great help to continue working on projects that contribute to empowering the role of women in society and improve their quality of life.
According to the data provided by the survey, the well-being of Spanish women in 2022 obtained a score of 67 out of 100, which means that there were no significant changes in five years. Together with the Portuguese, they are the ones who are most positive about their lives, above the European average, where the score is 64 out of 100.
The family is the most important factor that defines the well-being of women, followed by a healthy lifestyle and a stable economic situation. In the 2017 survey, the economy was ahead of the healthy lifestyle, but, in these 5 years, all the fields related to leading a healthy life have gained importance, also standing above the European average. And it is that more than half of those surveyed go on outdoor excursions, practice sports, control their weight and, in addition, undergo periodic medical check-ups to prevent diseases.
Nearly 70% of those surveyed say they are satisfied with their sexual life, although 34% consider that their sexual activity has decreased after the birth of their child(ren).
The report concludes that Spanish women find it easier than the rest of the European women to dedicate time to themselves, as well as to face work and domestic obligations, improving the data collected 5 years ago. However, only a third find it easy to maintain a balance between home and work, and only 40% consider their career a priority.
On the other hand, the health issues that most interest Spanish women are those related to the choice of a contraceptive method and the appearance of the first signs of menopause, followed by painful menstruation and infertility. In addition, health is more of a concern in Spain than in the rest of Europe.
The data collected by the survey show that nearly 80% of the women surveyed present some symptom compatible with a uterine fibroid: menstrual pain or heavy menstrual bleeding are the most frequent. Even so, and despite the fact that the incidence is 15-40 cases per 1,000 women of reproductive age, it is a pathology that takes a long time to diagnose. Although the preferred option for women with fibroids has historically been surgery, the survey reveals that the percentage of women who would opt for oral treatment to control symptoms has increased by more than 20 points.
30% of the women surveyed have experienced at least one symptom of a vaginal infection, such as itching or burning in the intimate area; 2 out of 3 take a treatment recommended by a doctor or pharmacist, but there are still 1 out of 3 women who take a treatment without a prescription.
Worry about infertility places a huge emotional burden on affected women. Most often, in addition to the feeling that it jeopardizes your dreams and plans to become a mother, it has a negative impact on your self-esteem. Virtually all the fields that have been asked about now acquire more importance than in 2017: the fear of infertility causes stress, depression, has a negative impact on femininity, can ruin the relationship, negatively influences sexual life and the labor performance.
When it comes to questions about infertility, women prefer to consult a gynecologist or a specialist at an assisted reproduction center, but 35% of those surveyed have not made any consultation despite being interested in reproduction in vitro/fertility center.
Fortunately, menopause has ceased to be a taboo in recent years and more and more women are speaking openly about their symptoms. Some symptoms that, historically, they assumed they had to endure for the simple fact of being women. Even so, only half of those surveyed have consulted with a professional. Those who do not consider that they can tolerate the symptoms, or that it is a natural process of the organism that does not require medical attention. In short, menopause remains a neglected health problem.
Among women going through this process, low libido, weight gain, or sleep problems are significantly more worrisome than osteoporosis, depression, breast cancer, heart problems, or urinary incontinence.
Today, available therapies, such as hormone replacement, can offer effective solutions, both for negative symptoms that affect women’s quality of life and for potentially serious health risks.
GR52-06/2023
