In 2005, women represented 51 percent
of the 288 million people residing in the United States.
In most age groups, women accounted for approximately half
of the population, with the exception of people 65 years
and older; within this age group, women represented over
57 percent of the population. The growing diversity of the
U.S. population is reflected in the racial and ethnic distribution
of women across age groups. Black and Hispanic women accounted
for 9 and 6.5 percent of the female population aged 65 and
older, respectively, but they represented 15.3 and 20.9
percent of females under 15 years of age. Non-Hispanic Whites
accounted for nearly 81 percent of women aged 65 years and
older, but only 58.6 percent of those under 15 years of
age.
In addition to race and ethnicity, income
and education are important factors that contribute to women’s
health and access to health care. Regardless of family structure,
women are more likely than men to live in poverty. Poverty
rates were highest among women who were heads of their households
(25.9 percent). Poverty rates were also higher among Black
and Hispanic women (24.2 and 21.7 percent, respectively),
who were also more likely to be heads of households than
their non-Hispanic White and Asian counterparts.
America’s growing diversity underscores
the
importance of examining and addressing racial
and ethnic disparities in health status and the use
of health care services. In 2005, 62.3 percent of
non-Hispanic White women reported themselves
to be in excellent or very good health, compared
to only 53.6 percent of Hispanic women and
51.6 percent of non-Hispanic Black women.
Minority women are disproportionately
affected by a number of diseases and health
conditions, including HIV/AIDS, sexually
transmitted infections, diabetes, and overweight
and obesity. For instance, in 2005, non-Hispanic
Black and Hispanic women accounted for more
than three-fourths of women living with
HIV/AIDS (64.1 and 15.1 percent, respectively).
One-third of non-Hispanic White women had
ever been tested for the Human Immunodeficiency
Virus (HIV), compared to 52.5 percent of
non-Hispanic Black women and 47.3 percent of
Hispanic women.
Diabetes is a chronic condition and a
leading
cause of death and disability in the United States,
and is especially prevalent among non-Hispanic
Black women. Among non-Hispanic Black
women, diabetes occurred at a rate of 106.8 per
1,000 women, compared to 69.1 per 1,000 non-Hispanic White women. Hypertension, or high
blood pressure, was also more prevalent among
non-Hispanic Black women than women of
other races. This disease occurred at a rate of
353.8 per 1,000 non-Hispanic Black women,
compared to 264.5 per 1,000 non-Hispanic
White women and 200.2 per 1,000 Hispanic
women.
Overweight and obesity are occurring at
an
increasing rate among Americans of all ages and
both sexes. Body Mass Index (BMI) is a measure
of the ratio of weight to height, and is often used
to determine whether a person’s weight is within
a healthy range. A BMI of 25–29.9 is considered
overweight, and a BMI of 30 or greater is considered
obese. In 2003-04, 61.4 percent of women
were overweight or obese; rates were highest
among non-Hispanic Black (79.9 percent) and
Hispanic women (68.4 percent).
Some conditions, such as arthritis and
heart
disease, disproportionately affect non-Hispanic
White women. For instance, in 2005, the rate of
arthritis among non-Hispanic White women was
282.1 per 1,000 women, compared to 243.3 per
1,000 non-Hispanic Black women and 144.2 per
1,000 Hispanic women.
Other conditions are more closely linked
to
family income than to race and ethnicity. Rates
of asthma decline as income increases and women
with higher incomes are more likely to effectively
manage their asthma. Among women with
incomes below the Federal poverty level (FPL),
more than one-third had an asthma-related
emergency room visit in the past year, compared
to 19.2 percent of women with family incomes of
300 percent or more of the FPL.
Mental health is another important aspect
of
women’s overall health. A range of mental health
problems, including depression, anxiety, phobias,
and post-traumatic stress disorder, disproportionately
affect women. Unlike many other health
concerns, younger women are more likely than
older women to suffer from serious psychological
stress and major depressive episodes.
Physical disabilities are more prevalent
among
women as well. Disability can be defined as
impairment of the ability to perform common
activities like walking up stairs, sitting or standing
for 2 hours or more, grasping small objects, or
carrying items like groceries. Therefore, the terms
“activity limitations” and “disabilities”
are used interchangeably throughout this book. Overall,
15.1 percent of women and 12.5 percent of men
reported having activity limitations.
Men, however, bear a disproportionate
burden of some health conditions, such as HIV/AIDS, diabetes
and heart disease. In 2005, for instance, adolescent and
adult males accounted for almost 73 percent of those living
with HIV/AIDS, though a smaller proportion of men had ever
been tested for HIV than women (33 versus 38 percent, respectively).
Certain health risks, such as overweight
and injury, occurred more commonly among men than women.
In 2003-04, 69.6 percent of men were overweight or obese,
compared to 61.5 percent of women. Among men, 30.2 percent
of emergency department visits were injury related, while
only 21.8 percent of women’s visits were due to injury.
In addition, men were less likely than women to seek preventive
care (375 versus 535 million physician office visits), and
were more likely to lack health insurance (22.5 versus 18.8
percent uninsured, respectively).
Many diseases and health conditions, such
as those mentioned above, can be avoided or minimized through
good nutrition, regular physical activity and preventive
health care. In 2004, 18.6 percent of women’s visits to
physicians were for preventive care, including prenatal
care, preventive screenings, and immunizations. Overall,
60.5 percent of older women reported receiving a flu shot
in 2005; however, this percentage ranges from 38.9 percent
among non-Hispanic Black women to 63.8 percent of non-Hispanic
White women. In addition to preventive health care, preventive
dental care is also important to prevent dental caries and
gum disease. In 2003-04, 71.2 percent of women who had health
insurance with a dental component saw a dentist in the past
year, compared to 58.6 percent of women with health insurance
but no dental component, and 38.6 percent of women with
no insurance at all.
There are many ways women (and men) can
promote health and help prevent disease and disability.
Thirty minutes of physical activity on most days of the
week may reduce the risk of chronic disease; women who reported
participating in any physical activity had an average of
194 minutes of moderate exercise each week in 2005, although
only 50 percent of women reported at least 10 minutes of
moderate activity.
Healthy eating habits can also be a major
contributor to long-term health and prevention of chronic
disease. In 1999-2004, however, more than half of all adult
women had diets that included more than the recommended
amount of saturated fat and sodium and less than the recommended
amount of folate. Overall, 63.5 percent of women exceeded
the maximum daily intake of saturated fat, and 70 percent
exceeded the maximum amount of sodium.
While some behaviors have a positive effect
on health, a number of others, such as smoking and alcohol
and illicit drug use, can have a negative effect. In 2005,
22.5 percent of women smoked. However, 44.8 percent of female
smokers tried to quit at some point in the past year. During
the same year, 45.9 percent of women reported any alcohol
use in the past month, but relatively few women (15.2 percent)
reported binge drinking (five or more drinks on the same
occasion) and even fewer (3.1 percent) reported heavy alcohol
use (binge drinking on 5 days or more in the past month).
Cigarette, alcohol, and illicit drug use
is particularly harmful during pregnancy. While use of illicit
drugs is reported by only 3.9 percent of all pregnant women,
it is more common among 15- to 17-year-olds who are pregnant—12.3
percent of them reported drug use in the past month. The
use of tobacco during pregnancy has declined steadily since
1989. In 2004-05, 16.6 percent of pregnant women aged 15–44
reported smoking during pregnancy. This rate was highest
among non-Hispanic White women (21.5 percent) and lowest
among Hispanic women (7.2 percent).
Women’s Health USA 2007 can be
an important tool for emphasizing the importance of preventive
care, counseling, and education, and for illustrating disparities
in the health status of women from all age groups and racial
and ethnic backgrounds. Health problems can only be remedied
if they are recognized. This data book provides information
on a range of indicators that can help us track the health
behaviors, risk factors, and health care utilization practices
of women throughout the United States.
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