Women’s Health Varies Across Country, CDC Report Shows

There are several "notable differences" in women's health across the country, and there is need for improvement in every state, according to a report released Wednesday by CDC, the Chicago Tribune reports (Graham, Chicago Tribune, 9/2). For the study -- the first to compile detailed information about women's health from every state -- researchers from the HHS Office on Women's Health and CDC ranked each state, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico based on 27 indicators including major causes of death, health risk factors, preventive care and health insurance coverage. Researchers organized the information by state "to help policymakers, program officials, researchers and others identify key issues of importance," according to a CDC release. The report also includes data on race and ethnicity (CDC Fact Sheet, 9/1). The report "highlights a growing awareness that gender plays a significant role in health and that women need special attention because of their biological differences from men," the Tribune reports (Chicago Tribune, 9/2).

Findings
No state scored well on all 27 indicators, according to the Denver Post. Hawaii ranked the highest for the lowest overall mortality rate for women (Austin, Denver Post, 9/2). The report found that states in the Mid-Atlantic and the Northeast ranked higher on women's access to preventive care such as mammograms and cholesterol tests. Women in southern states had higher rates of death for stroke. In addition, women living in western states have fewer cancer deaths than those in eastern states.

Explanations
The regional variations are likely related to access to medical care, insurance coverage, demographic variations, medical practice patterns and differences in state's public health insurance programs, according to the Tribune (Chicago Tribune, 9/2). Differences among the states also "reflect the racial and ethnic makeup of the state's population," according to the release. Arizona, California, Colorado and Texas -- which all have large Hispanic populations -- had lower rates of insurance coverage, which could point to a general pattern for Hispanics (CDC Fact Sheet, 9/1).

The report is available online. Note: You must have Adobe Acrobat to view the report.