Health Status of Women in Region X

摘要

Many indicators can characterize womens health. Although there is substantial variability in the region, the region-wide averages are higher than the national averages for several indicators implying that women in the region have poorer health status. There are a number of areas of concern described below. While age-adjusted death rates for women in the region are 5 percent lower than the national rate for all causes, the rates for many of the leading causes of death are higher, including chronic lower respiratory disease, stroke and Alzheimers disease. Further, the regional lung cancer rate is 14 percent higher than the national average. Also, the age-adjusted Alzheimers disease death rate for women is 87 percent higher than the national average in Washington and 64 percent higher regionwide. Mortality from ovarian cancer for women in Washington is 21 percent higher than the national average, and stroke mortality is 12 percent above the national average in Washington, 21 percent higher in Oregon, and 15 percent higher across the region. At the same time, heart disease mortality is 27 percent below the national average for females in Oregon and 23 percent lower for females regionally.