Kala: the first Spanish-language app to support women going through menopause

Menopause is a natural, physiological and universal process that affects women's quality of life. According to data from the Instituto de la Menopausia, eight out of ten women who go through this process suffer some type of symptom, seven out of ten see their quality of life affected, and almost half feel isolated as well as worried. In addition, about 20% develop a mental health problem, such as depression or anxiety.

However, in a technological market saturated with mobile apps, until 2024 there were no apps in Spanish to provide comprehensive support to women in their transition to menopause. Kala was created to meet this need.

The app is the result of a project led by Talia Leibovitz, a course instructor at the Faculty of Information and Communication Sciences of the UOC (Universitat Oberta de Catalunya). Kala was also one of the eight finalist projects in the latest edition of SpinUOC, the university's annual entrepreneurship programme, held on 27 June.

Talia Leibovitz presenting Kala at SpinUOC on 27 June

Comprehensive support

Kala is an app that provides help and support to women during menopause based on four basic principles: providing information, offering tools to control and monitor symptoms, giving access to a community of women in the same situation, and analysing the evolution and progression of menopause thanks to artificial intelligence.

"The app aims to support all women in relation to the symptoms, stages or treatments," said Talia Leibovitz, the leader of the project that has made the app possible. "We use a comprehensive approach to ensure that women have access to all the necessary information, a space to share questions and experiences, tools to control and monitor symptoms and an analysis of the evolution and progression of menopause so that they can find solutions adapted to their own individual needs. Personalization is a key aspect of our proposal."

Kala has the following features:

- Menopedia: General information about menopause symptoms to help users understand what they are going through. "Our goal is to empower women by providing them with knowledge, resources and support. By equipping women with information about their bodies, symptoms and available treatment options, we empower them to make informed decisions about their health and well-being," said Leibovitz.

- Tracker: This enables users to record information relating to their mood, menopause symptoms and quality of life. The data are stored in a clinical history that gives an overview of symptoms and their evolution over time.

- Community: An anonymous public forum to share messages, questions and experiences with other women who are going through the same stage of life, providing emotional and social support. "Menopause is often shrouded in stigma and silence. Many women feel ashamed or uncomfortable talking openly about their experiences, which leads to feelings of isolation and inadequacy. At Kala, we are committed to breaking down these barriers by encouraging open and honest conversations about menopause," said the UOC course instructor.

- Expert programmes: Physical activity, nutrition and mental and emotional health programmes to improve general well-being.

- Guided meditation: Kala offers guided meditation plans to help users manage stress, anxiety and other emotional symptoms associated with menopause. "Guided meditation can be an effective tool to improve mental and emotional well-being at this stage of life," said Leibovitz.

- Emotion journal: A journal to track and record emotions, helping identify patterns and work towards improving the user's well-being.

- Professional sessions: Kala provides access to professionals specializing in menopause care, nutritionists, psychologists and other health experts.

- Medical reports: To keep track, making use of monitoring and recorded symptoms.

Visibility to put an end to the menopause taboo

With this comprehensive support, the app seeks not only to improve women's physical and mental well-being, but also to empower them and combat the taboos and stigma surrounding menopause. In this way, Kala contributes to the fight for gender equality.

"Menopause isn't just a women's issue: it's a social reality that addresses broader issues of gender equality and rights. Historically, women's health issues, including menopause, "have been marginalized or ignored, reflecting broader disparities in healthcare access and treatment," said Leibovitz.

An example of this lack of attention to women's health is the fact that, before Kala, in a market saturated with mobile apps, there were no apps to provide comprehensive support for the transition to menopause. This was a significant gap taking into account that in Spain alone there are more than 5.5 million women between 45 and 60 years of age (according to the Spanish National Institute of Statistics) and that, on average, the time after menopause accounts for a third of a woman's life.

"Through Kala, we advocate for gender equality by raising awareness of the unique challenges faced by menopausal women and advocating for policies and practices that promote equitable access to healthcare and support,” said the UOC course instructor.

SpinUOC finalist

Kala's potential value to millions of women in Spain and Latin America is reflected in its finalist position in the SpinUOC programme. This achievement may also give a great boost to the project.

"Being a SpinUOC finalist is a great opportunity. First, it shows us that the project is moving in the right direction. It's been a very competitive edition, and securing a position among the eight finalists wasn't easy. Second, it's a great showcase," said Leibovitz, adding that she hopes that this recognition will be a boost in the project's current stage of searching for funding.

Currently, Kala has an initial version available for Android and iOS. The next steps will focus on dissemination actions to reach more women and on opening a round of financing to increase both the app's features and its reach.

This UOC entrepreneurial project contributes to Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 3, Good Health and Well-being, and 5, Gender Equality.

UOC R&I

The UOC's research and innovation (R&I) is helping overcome pressing challenges faced by global societies in the 21st century by studying interactions between technology and human & social sciences with a specific focus on the network society, e-learning and e-health.

Over 500 researchers and more than 50 research groups work in the UOC's seven faculties, its eLearning Research programme and its two research centres: the Internet Interdisciplinary Institute (IN3) and the eHealth Center (eHC).

The university also develops online learning innovations at its eLearning Innovation Center (eLinC), as well as UOC community entrepreneurship and knowledge transfer via the Hubbik platform.

Open knowledge and the goals of the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development serve as strategic pillars for the UOC's teaching, research and innovation. More information: research.uoc.edu.