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WISEWOMAN: Improving the Health of Uninsured Women


See Also:

WISEWOMAN At A Glance 2004

WISEWOMAN Web site


The WISEWOMAN (Well-Integrated Screening and Evaluation for Women Across the Nation) program was created by a 1993 Congressional authorization as a demonstration program within the National Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program (NBCCEDP) to provide additional preventive health services to low- income, uninsured women. As a result, those women receiving cancer screening services through NBCCEDP are also able to receive preventive health services that focus on reducing the risk of heart disease and other chronic diseases. Three WISEWOMAN demonstration projects were launched in 1995. The WISEWOMAN program currently funds 15 projects located in 14 states, and provides screening and lifestyle interventions to address high blood pressure and cholesterol, nutrition and weight management, physical inactivity, and tobacco use.

Vision

A world where any woman can access preventive health services and gain the wisdom to improve her health.

Mission

To provide low-income, under- or uninsured 40- to 64-year-old women with the knowledge, skills, and opportunities to improve diet, physical activity, and other lifestyle behaviors to prevent, delay, and control cardiovascular and other chronic diseases.

Challenges

  • In 1999, about 1 of every 10 U.S. women aged 45–64 years was uninsured.
  • Uninsured women are more likely to be of minority racial and ethnic groups, to have less education, and to be poorer than insured women.
  • Uninsured women may be especially vulnerable to cardiovascular disease because they are more likely than insured women to smoke cigarettes and be overweight, and less likely to engage in physical activity and be aware of their cholesterol levels.
  • Uninsured U.S. adults are also less likely to receive high blood pressure screening, cholesterol screening, and professional advice related to losing weight and quitting smoking.
  • Women participating in WISEWOMAN during 2000–2003 had a high prevalence of risk factors for heart disease and stroke: 72% were either overweight or obese, 28% smoked, 25% had high blood pressure, and 23% had high cholesterol.

CDC’s WISEWOMAN Projects, FY 2004

A map of the US showing WISEWOMAN project sites.  WISEWOMAN projects are found in Southcentral Foundation in Alaska, Southeast Alaska Regional Health Consortium, State of California Department of Health Services, South Dakota State Department of Health, Nebraska Health and Human Services System, Iowa Department of Health, Illinois Department of Public Health, Michigan Department of Community Health, North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services, Vermont Department of Health, Massachusetts Department of Public Health, Minnesota Department of Health, Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services, West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources and Connecticut Department of Public Health.

1. Southcentral Foundation in Alaska 9. Illinois Department of Public Health
2. Southeast Alaska Regional Health Consortium 10. Michigan Department of Community Health
3. State of California Department of Health Services 11. West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources
4. South Dakota State Department of Health 12. North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services
5. Nebraska Health and Human Services System 13. Vermont Department of Health
6. Minnesota Department of Health 14. Massachusetts Department of Public Health
7. Iowa Department of Public Health 15. Connecticut Department of Public Health
8. Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services  
 



With fiscal year 2004 funding of $14 million, CDC supported 15 projects in 14 states. CDC is also funding studies at Prevention Research Centers to develop interventions that most effectively reduce risk factors for cardiovascular disease and other chronic disease among uninsured and financially disadvantaged women.

As of 2004, more than 21,000 women aged 40 years or older have participated in the WISEWOMAN program. These women received counseling to improve their health and were provided with appropriate follow-up services. As highlighted in the chart below, the number of women screened for the first time for cardiovascular risk has approximately doubled each year over the three year period of 2000–2003.

Number of Women Screened at Baseline from 2000–2003

Graph showing that there were 1398 women screened as part of the WISEWOMAN program in 2000, 3155 in 2001, 5883 in 2002 and 11155 in 2003.

WISEWOMAN Success Stories

Evidence has shown that WISEWOMAN has been successful in responding to the needs of underserved women. The following success stories from two WISEWOMAN projects highlight how pooling resources can lead to increased access for women and how cultural adaptation is critical to reaching more women.

North Carolina WISEWOMAN Project

Title: !Vida Saludable, Corazon Contento!

Location: Chapel Hill, North Carolina

Focus: Help Latina women make healthy changes in their diet and become more physically active.

Strategy: WISEWOMAN staff at the University of North Carolina—Chapel Hill developed culturally appropriate, Spanish-language materials to help Latina women make dietary and physical activity changes that will reduce their risk for heart disease and stroke.

Levels of Success: This successful strategy can serve as a model for others wanting to develop culturally appropriate materials. Rigorous reviews by bilingual health professionals and Latina women were essential to ensuring that these materials would be culturally sensitive.

Results: These culturally targeted materials have the potential to reach many Latina women across the country. They are being pilot-tested in North Carolina and other states that need help reaching Latina women at risk for heart disease and stroke.

Southeast Alaska Regional Health Consortium (SEARHC) WISEWOMAN Project

Title: Partners Pool Resources to Give Rural Alaska Women Higher Quality of Care, More Life-Saving Services

Location: Rural Southeastern Alaska

Focus: Provide women in this isolated, rural area with needed preventive services such as programs on nutrition, physical activity, and smoking cessation.

Strategy: Community partners pooled their resources to provide multicultural health care services to underserved women in rural Alaska.

Levels of Success: Many organizational benefits have resulted. By coordinating their funding sources, agencies have been able to offer more extensive services, including preventive care, to low-income women who previously were unable to receive the care needed to stay healthy.

Results: Because this WISEWOMAN project has pooled resources with other agencies in the community, more Alaska Native as well as non-Native women are receiving preventive care. About 500 women in isolated communities have received preventive services through this WISEWOMAN project in the first year of operation.

 




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This page last reviewed August 10, 2004

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