The UK Women’s Health Market Report examines the impact of inflation on financially vulnerable women, attitudes towards women’s health issues, and opportunities for brands to appeal to women. This report covers the latest industry trends and consumer behaviour for the UK Women’s Health Market.
Inflation has caused challenges for all but the wealthiest consumers. In particular, women in vulnerable financial situations report much poorer physical and mental health. This makes for a stark situation for this group. ONS data from 2018-20 revealed that females living in the most deprived areas of England live an average of eight years less than females living in the least deprived areas.
When seeking physical health advice, women of all ages overwhelmingly favour their GP in terms of trust when compared with other means of seeking advice. When narrowed down to Gen Z women, this age group uses less traditional sources to seek information on physical health.
In terms of mental health, young women appear to be disproportionately affected. Nearly a third of women aged 18-24 have poor mental health, where women aged 55+ experience this much less. Young women also report a greater number of lifestyle factors that cause them stress and anxiety. For example, over half of Gen Z women say their body image causes them stress and anxiety, and many report their social media usage as a source of negative emotions.
Awareness of the importance of sleep has grown in recent years, spurred by the increased time spent at home during the pandemic. Women in the UK are more focussed on getting enough sleep compared with other priorities. This signals a great opportunity for wearable tech brands and apps that incorporate female-specific health metrics into their sleep-tracking technology.
Almost half of women do not currently talk to their friends about menstruation or the menopause, raising an opportunity for brands to help spark the conversation on female health between friends. Employers can also pave the way for supporting menopausal and perimenopausal women through practical and inclusive workplace policies, such as flexible working arrangements.
There is a unanimous call among women for women’s health to be taken more seriously by doctors. In response to this pressure, the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) published its Women’s Health Strategy for England in August 2022. As part of this strategy, all new medical students and doctors will complete mandatory women’s health training from 2024.
Further education and awareness is needed, as well as action to dismantle the barriers menopausal women face in society and at work.
To discover more about the health market in the UK, read our UK Men’s Health Market Report, or take a look at our extensive Health and Wellbeing Market Research.
Brands: BEAT, Headspace, Saucony, Dove, Maybelline, Davina McCall’s ‘Sex, Myths and the Menopause’, Hearst UK, and more.
This report, written by Francesca Smith, a leading analyst in the Consumer Lifestyles sector, delivers in-depth commentary and analysis to highlight women’s health market trends, and add expert context to the numbers.
The cost of living crisis will disproportionately impact the physical and mental health of women from poorer backgrounds, while also pushing health products and services further down consumers’ priority lists. There is opportunity, though, for brands to stand out by shining a light on women’s health issues that have been side-lined for too long. Specifically, brands should help break down taboos and spread awareness of the perimenopause and menopause and the impact these have on a women’s health and life, as well as help remove barriers for perimenopausal and menopausal women in society and at work.
Francesca Smith
Senior Consumer Lifestyles Analyst
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