Older
Women's Health
One of the most profound trends
driving the programs and initiatives of the Office on Womens Health (OWH) within the
Department of Health and Human Services is the graying of the baby boom generation. By the
year 2030, one in four American women will be over the age of 65. In face of these trends,
the OWH is targeting its programs and activities to entire lifespan of a womens
life. OWH specifically works to promote older womens health through the programs and
activities listed below.
Conventional,
Complimentary and Alternative Menopausal Practices Survey (CAMPS)
A Subcommittee of the Federal Interagency Working Group on Womens Health and
the Environment has developed a survey 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 practices. This study was
conducted in Florida, Minnesota and Tennessee through Behavior Risk Factor Surveillance
System. The data was presented at a national conference at the National Institutes of
Health in October, 2000 and a publication will be available early 2001.
The OWH contact person for CAMPS is Dr. Saralyn Mark.
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Menopause and
Hormone Therapy section on NWHIC
Check out NWHIC's
section on Menopause and Hormone Therapy!
If you are approaching menopause or are in menopause, you might
wonder if the changes in your body are normal. It’s easy to
get overwhelmed by all of the ads for and news on treatments for
your symptoms. Here you will find all of the most recent research
news on hormone therapy, as well as the best organizations and
publications on menopause. Take advantage of this unique time
in your life to focus more on yourself and make changes that will
improve your health!
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Menopause Resource Guide
More than 40 million American women are postmenopausal, and within the next 25 years this
number is expected to increase to 60 million. At the turn of the century, most women did
not live past menopause. However, public health interventions and applied medical research
have extended women's lives, on average, by 30 years in this century, but for many
menopausal women this longer life has only meant more years of poor health and disability.
Too little is known about how to promote good health and prevent, detect, and manage
disease and disability in older women. This Resource Guide highlights Federal agencies,
organizations, newsletters, and books dedicated to the improvement of the health of
postmenopausal women.
The Menopause Resource
Guide is compiled by Dr. Saralyn Mark.
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WLLLW:
Women Living Longer, Living Well
Looking to the future, The Women's Health Coordinating Committee of the Department
of Health and Human Services, coordinated by the Office on Women's Health, meets regularly
to evaluate the health needs of an aging population of American women, and one that is
increasingly diverse.
The committee has developed a project called "Women
Living Long and Living Well," or "WLLLW" (pronounced "willow").
Interested in developing a framework for women's health for the new century, these federal
health experts recognized that like the willow tree, a strong, viable framework would have
to grow from the ground up.
Seeking input from local communities, the Department's
regional women's health coordinators and coordinating committee members went to
communities all over the country, including Puerto Rico, for listening sessions to discuss
the WLLLW framework, and to gather input on women's health needs, gaps and priorities from
the insights and experiences of women's health leaders from local communities. Public
comment was also sought through a Federal Register notice. This information was
synthesized into a framework consistent with Healthy People 2010, the nation's health
agenda for the next decade.
Healthy People 2010 has two goals: to improve the quality and
years of life and to eliminate health disparities. The WLLLW framework focused on three
pathways to achieve those goals: improving chances for independent living through better
access to and coordination of health care, services, and messages; building networks of
providers and communities to integrate prevention and treatment as well as mental and
physical health care; and enhancing knowledge base through sex and gender based research
and multi disciplinary collaboration. Culturally relevant approaches, outcome evaluation
and follow up, and rapid implementation of findings are critical elements of all the
pathways.
Session participants consistently emphasized that women's
health must be addressed holistically and throughout the life span; it does not begin and
end with childbearing; life-long good health begins with early education on healthy
behaviors, nutrition, exercise, and self-esteem development. As federal health agencies
plan for future generations of American women, WLLLW can provide guidance about community
needs and priorities as we seek to protect and advance the health of America's women.
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