Environmental
Health
Federal
Interagency Working Group on Women's Health and the Environment
There is abundant evidence that environmental factors
contribute to many diseases in women, including breast and ovarian cancers, osteoporosis,
endometriosis, uterine fibroids and autoimmune diseases. The Office on Women's Health
(OWH) established the Federal Interagency Working Group on Women's Health and the
Environment in 1994 to bring a focal point for action in the area of women's health and
the environment. The Interagency Working Group consists of more than 40 representatives
from Federal agencies and offices, including the Environmental Protection Agency,
Department of Labor and Department of Defense. Its mission is to address the environmental
and often preventable threats to women's health. Specifically, the Interagency Working
Group has two goals.
To discuss ongoing activities in research,
information dissemination and outreach, health care services, training, and public policy
related to women's health and the environment;
To identify gaps and stimulate the planning
and implementation of future activities to address identified needs.
The Interagency Working Group organized a Conference entitled
"Women's Health and the Environment: Innovations in Science and Policy" in
September 1998. The conference generated recommendations for policy, communication and
training, and research to be considered by the federal government. A review article was
published in the Journal of Women's Health & Gender-Based Medicine in April 2000. Four
subcommittees were initially formed to carry out the Interagency Working Group's
initiatives:
The Subcommittee on the Inventory of Federal
Activities on Women's Health in the Environment created an inventory that provides
researchers, policy makers, and the general public with an informational guide to Federal
agency research, services, policies, and training related to women's health and the
environment. The inventory was last updated several years ago, and it is currently in the
process of being updated. It can be found at http://www.4woman.gov/nwhic/env/combined1.htm.
The Subcommittee on Environmental Hormones
developed the Survey on Conventional, Complementary and Alternative Menopausal Practices
Survey (CAMPS) to evaluate the knowledge, attitudes, beliefs, and practices of women, ages
45 and older, with regard to menopause and conditions related to menopause, and to include
an assessment of environmental influences, such as pharmacological, behavioral, and
alternative therapies and practice. The survey data and results were published in the
November 2003 issue of Menopause.
The Subcommittee on Occupational Health
investigated muscle-skeletal disorders at the workplace and led to an on-going effort to
determine the appropriateness of personal protective equipment for women.
The work of the Subcommittee on Environmental
Exposures gave rise to a "Breast Cancer Clusters" workshop in December 1998 and
the "Workshop on Breast Cancer and the Environment" in June 2003. The goal of
the workshops was to define, examine, and address approaches to investigating the link
between the environment and breast cancer in high rate areas.
Three new subcommittees were formed to carry out the Working
Group's initiatives for the year 2000 and beyond:
The Subcommittee on Breastfeeding developed
the HHS Blueprint for Action on Breastfeeding, released October, 2000 by the Surgeon
General. The Blueprint, the first breastfeeding policy for the Nation, focuses attention
on the importance of breastfeeding and recommends action steps for the health care system,
families, the community, researchers and the workplace to promote breastfeeding. The
Blueprint gave rise to the National Breastfeeding Awareness Campaign, which aims to
promote breastfeeding among first-time parents (mothers and fathers) who would not
normally breastfeed their baby. As a part of the National Breastfeeding Campaign, a
comprehensive 3-year media campaign will be launched in 2004.
The Subcommittee on Reproductive Health
focuses on the environmental etiology of fibroids, endometriosis, and the role of silicone
breasts implants on childhood disorders. The Subcommittee will be a contributing working
group for the "A Longitudinal Cohort Study of Environmental Effects on Child Health
and Development".
The Subcommittee on Dietary Supplements
explores and identifies key issues in the areas of safety of products, availability of
accurate public information, and generates recommendations for potential projects that can
help consumers better understand the arena of dietary supplements.
The Federal Interagency Working Group on Women's Health and
the Environment is chaired by Suzanne G. Haynes,
Ph.D., Senior Advisor for Science.
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Federal Inventory
of Activities
Women's Health and the Environment: A Federal Inventory of
Activities is a product of the Federal Interagency Working Group on Women's Health and the
Environment, demonstrating the progress that has been made in research, information
dissemination, public policy, services, and training on issues related to women's health
and the environment. It is a unique document because it presents a comprehensive
description of activities across several Federal agencies, focuses on women's health
across the life span, and views the concept of "environment" from a broad
perspective. It provides researchers, policy makers, and the general public with an
informational guide to current Federal agency research, services, policies, and related
activities. The inventory was last updated several years ago, and it is currently in the
process of being updated. It can be found at http://www.4woman.gov/nwhic/env/combined1.htm.
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Last Updated: February 2004 |
