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Show Although lung cancer surpassed breast cancer as the leading cause of cancer death among American women in 1987, breast cancer continues to cause a majority of cancer deaths among Utah women.6,24 Periodic exams, including measurement of cholesterol and blood pressure, are important to health maintenance. The proportion of Utah women who reported ever having their cholesterol levels measured increased from 39 percent in 1987 to 62 percent in 1993.19 The majority of Utah women also reported having had their blood pressures checked recently. 19 For some cancers, screening tests can detect malignancies at earlier stages of disease when they are more amenable to cure. Fortunately, that is true for two important cancers that affect women: breast cancer and cervical cancer. The use of screening mammography by Utah women has almost doubled in recent years. The proportion of Utah women 50 and older who reported receiving a mammogram within the last two years as part of a routine check-up increased from 34 percent in 1987 to 66 percent in 19 94.19 During the period 1992-94, approximately 92 percent of Utah women reported that they had had a Pap smear at some point in their lives. However, only about 69 percent of women reported having had a Pap smear as part of a routine check up within the last two years. 19 ¦ Prenatal Care Utah ranks third in the nation for delivery of adequate prenatal care.5 According to the "Women's Health in Utah" report, 84 percent of women who delivered a baby during 1995 received prenatal care in the first trimester of pregnancy, just slightly less than the Healthy People 2000 U.S. goal of 90 percent.5,18 A woman's age, race and ethnicity, marital status, and geographic area of residence are related to the likelihood that she will seek early prenatal care. Utah women under age 18 and over the age of 44 are less likely to access early prenatal care.5 Minority women, unmarried women, and women living in rural communities are all less likely to present for prenatal care early in pregnancy.5 Inadequate prenatal care has been associated with higher rates of low-birth weight babies.25 In fact, data collected during the years 1992 through 1994 revealed that 19 percent of the babies born to Utah women who received no prenatal care were low birth weight infants compared to only 6 percent of the babies born to women who received prenatal care in the first trimester.5 Violence Against Women Violence against women is a serious public health problem that affects about 2 to 4 million women every year.26 It is defined as any violent act that results in, or is likely to result in, physical, sexual or psychological harm or suffering to women.27 In 1995, women were much more likely to be victims of violent crime committed by a current or former partner or relative than by a stranger, n In Utah, approximately 1 in 10 residents have been victims of domestic violence.28 Domestic violence accounted for almost 32 percent of all assaults filed in 1995 and one fourth of all homicides.29 Violence between spouses accounted for 45 percent of offenses committed between family members in Utah in 1995.29 In Utah, both the annual number of reported rapes and the reported rape rate per 1,000 women have increased substantially since 1978.29 In 1995, older women comprised approximately 62 percent of reported adult abuse victims.30 Discussion The "Women's Health in Utah" report provides valuable information about the health status of Utah's women. Women in Utah are generally healthier than women elsewhere in the United States. This may be due in part to lower rates of tobacco and alcohol use. Women in Utah, like women elsewhere in the United States, live about 7 years longer than men but die from similar causes. However women in general experience more chronic illness than men, partly as a result of their longer life spans. Women in Utah, like women elsewhere, experience clinical depression more often than men. Unfortunately, Utah women seem to be following national trends and are becoming more obese and less physically active over time. Though they live longer than men, Utah women report that they experience more days of poor physical and mental health and more days in which they are limited in performing their usual activities. 10 In general, women in Utah and the United States make more office visits to physicians than men, even if visits related to reproductive health care are 8 Taking a Closer Look at Women's Health |
