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WISEWOMAN Briefing Document 2006
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Imagine a world where our mothers, daughters, and sisters all have access
to health care and the wisdom needed to stay healthy and strong.
Here's a solution
In a decade, CDC–funded WISEWOMAN projects have reached
thousands of low–income women across America, giving them the
opportunity to reduce their risk for heart disease, diabetes, and other
serious health problems. Nearly 73% of these women are overweight or
obese, and 27% of them smoke. One-third are from racial and ethnic
minority populations. Because WISEWOMAN piggybacks onto the National
Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program, it offers low–income
women one–stop shopping so they can be screened for breast and
cervical cancer, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and other
problems that are all–too–common and yet often preventable and
treatable. WISEWOMAN also gives these vulnerable women the knowledge and
tools they need to make physical activity and good nutrition a regular
part of their lives. Such changes can have lasting effects on their
health.
WISEWOMAN works because....
- It reaches women who don't have health insurance.
- It is making a real difference in the lives of American women who
are usually left behind.
- WISEWOMAN reduces the estimated chances that these women will die of
heart disease, the leading cause of death for women.
- It advances our nation's health goals with interventions that show
promising results.
- It pools the resources of traditional and nontraditional partners.
- The program has grown dramatically during the past 10 years,
reaching thousands more women each year.
About WISEWOMAN
CDC funds 15 WISEWOMAN projects. Their main goal is to prevent heart
disease among women aged 40–64 years who have little or no health insurance.
All WISEWOMAN projects provide women with blood pressure and cholesterol
screenings. Some projects also offer tests for diabetes and osteoporosis.
Women are not just screened and referred. They can also take advantage of
lifestyle programs that target poor nutrition, physical inactivity, and
smoking, such as healthy cooking classes, fitness competitions, or
quit–smoking courses. The interventions vary from project to
project, and all are designed to promote lasting, healthy changes.
Here's proof WISEWOMAN works—on average:
- Women in the WISEWOMAN program have maintained their weight for 1
year, countering the trend of weight gain that is particularly pronounced
in low–income populations.
- Their blood pressure has come down (both systolic and diastolic
levels have declined).
- Their cholesterol levels have declined.
- 6% of smokers have quit.
- Their estimated risk for dying of heart disease has declined
significantly.
- They are more likely to return for regular mammograms.
[A text version of this graphic is also available.]
[A text version of this graphic is also available.]
A woman's health should not depend on where she lives, her status in life,
or the color of her skin.
WISEWOMAN is a wise investment
Health economists generally agree
that if an intervention can save 1 year of life for less than $50,000, it is
cost–effective. Bypass surgery is one good example. It costs $26,000 per
year of life saved and thus is considered cost–effective. So, in economic terms, the WISEWOMAN program is a real
bargain, with costs falling far below the $50,000 threshold. The WISEWOMAN
program found that its interventions have extended women's lives at a cost
of $4,400 per estimated year of life saved.
[A text version of this graphic is also available.]
One–stop shopping with benefits that could last a lifetime
Together, WISEWOMAN and the National Breast and Cervical Cancer Early
Detection Program provide Pap tests, clinical breast exams, and screenings
for heart disease risk factors—often in just one visit. Since 2000, WISEWOMAN has
- Reached over 50,000 women in need.
- Provided over 77,500 health screenings and nearly 135,000 lifestyle
intervention sessions to these women.
- Identified 5,336 new cases of high blood pressure, 5,773 new cases
of high cholesterol, and 791 new cases of high
blood sugar.
A good value with vast opportunities
-
WISEWOMAN offers opportunities for a healthy life to
women who are usually left behind and who are at high risk for serious
health problems.
-
WISEWOMAN costs about $400 per participant, but the
potential benefits are worth much more.
-
WISEWOMAN's holistic approach has helped thousands of
women become more active, eat healthier, and lower their risk for
developing heart disease.
-
WISWOMAN has shown impressive growth and ability to
sustain, with the support of partners at the grassroots level.
-
The one–stop–shopping concept of WISEWOMAN is a
model for building other health programs that want to offer more
comprehensive health services by piggy–backing onto an existing
program.
-
WISEWOMAN is helping America reach its Healthy People
2010 goals for reducing heart disease, stroke, diabetes, obesity,
and other serious health problems.
Meet Jacqueline
Small diet changes, big results
"I've been trying to lower my blood sugar for years," says
Jacqueline Noyes, 60, of Sutton, Vermont. It wasn't until she
began nutrition counseling with Ladies First, a WISEWOMAN
program, that she was really able to do it. She's done so well
she got a personal letter from her doctor congratulating her for
such a good job.
"I really am pleased with the nutritionist. If I hadn't been
to him I wouldn't have lowered my blood sugar." Jacqueline's
doctor was the first to tell her about the new Ladies First
nutrition program. She found it easier than she thought it would
be to make some key diet changes, like eating more oatmeal,
wheat bread, one percent milk, fruit and beans. "They fill me
up, so I don't have to eat as much anymore," she says.
She recommends the program to anyone. "It's not drastic. You
make little changes here and there," she says. And she's proof
those little changes can make a big difference.
Reprinted with permission
Ladies First, a WISEWOMAN program
Vermont Department of Health
Burlington, Vermont |
WISEWOMAN started as a demonstration program in 3 states in 1995. Today,
it includes 15 projects in 14 states.
[A text version of this graphic is also available.]
Resources
A good overview of the WISEWOMAN program and our findings
thus far can be found in the Journal of Women's Health, Vol. 13, No.
5, 2004. For more details about WISEWOMAN's successes, other published
references, and information to support this document, please visit our Web
site at http://www.cdc.gov/wisewoman.
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Date last reviewed:
12/13/2006
Content source: Division
for Heart Disease and Stroke Prevention,
National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and
Health Promotion
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