Health Survey Program Bureau of Health Statistics, Research, and Evaluation

Women’s Health in Massachusetts

Highlights from the Massachusetts Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System

(BRFSS): 2000-2001

Health Survey Program Bureau of Health Statistics, Research, and Evaluation

Massachusetts Department of Public Health

January 2003

Source: Health Survey Program, Division of Research and Epidemiology, Bureau of Health Statistics, Research and Evaluation, MDPH

Overview of Today

Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance Survey (BRFSS)

• Comparison of women's and men’s health in

Massachusetts

• Women’s health issues

• Summary


What is the BRFSS?

° Random digit dial telephone survey

° Adults ages 18 and older

° Collaboration between CDC and States

° Massachusetts BRFSS since 1986

° Data are weighted: provide population-based

estimates of health

° Massachusetts N = 8,628 (year 2001)

BRFSS

TOBACCO

CANCER CONTROL

DRUG &ALCOHOL

PARTNER VIOLENCE BLOOD PRESSURE

AND CHOLESTEROL

NUTRITIONAND EXERCISE

ORAL HEALTH

HEALTH CARE ACCESS

WOMEN’S HEALTH

OSTEOPOROSIS

50 OTHER TOPICS

Comparison of women’s and men’s health status and health

care access

• health characteristics

• disease status

• risk factors

• health care access


General health characteristics of Massachusetts adults by sex, 2001

118 8

19

1311 10

21

0

5

10

15

20

25

fair/poor health 15+ poormental health

days

15+ poorphysical health

days

disability

perc

enta

ge (

%)

men women


Self-reported disease status among Massachusetts adults by sex, 2001

10 7 6

37

611

5

52

0

15

30

45

60

75

heart disease * current asthma diabetes arthritis **

perc

enta

ge (

%)

men women

* ages 35+ ** ages 45+


Percentage of Massachusetts adults who do not have health insurance by sex and age,

2000-2001

8 8

18

11

6 553

11

5 53

0

5

10

15

20

25

Total 18-24 25-34 35-44 45-54 55-64

perc

enta

ge (

%)

men women


Self reported risk factors among Massachusetts adults by sex, 2001

21

8

24

53

19

6

35

50

0

15

30

45

60

75

current smoking heavy drinking fruit & vegconsumption *

regular physicalactivity

perc

enta

ge (

%)

men women* 2000 data


Percentage of Massachusetts adults who are obese by sex and race/ethnicity, 2001

18 18 19 1916 15

32

23

0

10

20

30

40

50

Total White Black Hispanic

perc

enta

ge (

%)

men women


Women’s Health Issues

• mammogram

• clinical breast exam

• Pap test

• folic acid usage

• calcium intake

• family planning

• intimate partner abuse

• sexual assault


Percentage of women ages 40+ who had a mammogram in the past two years, by

race/ethnicity, 2000

84 84 87 8981

0

20

40

60

80

100

MA Total White Black Hispanic U.S.Average

perc

enta

ge (

%)


Trend in the percentage of women ages 40+ who had a mammogram in the past year,

Massachusetts vs. US, 1992 - 2000

50

60

70

80

90

100

1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000

Year

Per

cen

tag

e (%

)

Massachusetts

US


Percentage of women who had a clinical breast exam in the past two years,

by race/ethnicity, 2000

86 8881

63

7988

0

20

40

60

80

100

Overall White Black Hispanic Asian U.S.Average

perc

enta

ge (

%)


Percentage of women who had a Pap test in the past three years, by race/ethnicity,

1999 - 2001

89 90 88

72

8693

0

20

40

60

80

100

Overall White Black Hispanic Asian U.S.Average

perc

enta

ge (

%)


Percentage of women, ages 18-44, who knew the correct reason for folic acid use and who reported

taking folic acid, by race/ethnicity, 2000

63

44

28

4043 46

3035

57

36

0

15

30

45

60

75

Overall White Black Hispanic Asian

perc

enta

ge (

%)

folic acid knowledge folic acid use


Percentage of women who reported sufficient calcium intake, by age and

race/ethnicity, 1998 & 2000

34

2730

43

2933

0

10

20

30

40

50

White Black Hispanic

perc

enta

ge (

%)

18-64 65+


Percentage of women, ages 18-44, who reported birth control use,

by race/ethnicity, 2000

78 80

656869

50

60

70

80

90

100

Overall White Black Hispanic Asian

perc

enta

ge (

%)


Percent of women, age 18-44, who had an unplanned pregnancy in the past 5 years, by

Household Income, BRFSS 2000

27

50

4037

1913

0

15

30

45

60

75

overall <$25,000 $25-34,999

$35-49,999

$50-74,999

$75,000+

Per

cen

tag

e (%

)


Percentage of women ages 18-59 who experienced intimate partner abuse, by

Income, 2001

4

10

6

31 1

0

5

10

15

20

25

Overall <$25,000 $25-34,999

$35-49,999

$50-74,999

$75,000+

perc

enta

ge (

%)


Percentage of women ages 18-59 who experienced intimate partner abuse, by

race/ethnicity, 2001

4 4

9

6

0

5

10

15

20

25

Overall White Black Hispanic

perc

enta

ge (

%)


Percentage of women ages 18-59 who experienced sexual assault, by household

income, 2000

23

32

24 23

0

10

20

30

40

50

Overall <$25,000 $25-49,999 $50,000+

perc

enta

ge (

%)


MA%US

Median(%)

MARank

HP2010(%)

Mammogram, past 2 years 84 76 3rd 70

Clinical breast exam, past 2 yrs 86 79 2nd --*

Pap test, past 3 years 91 87 3rd 90

Obesity 16 21 2nd 15

Smoking 19 21 9th 12

5+ servings, fruits & vegetables 35 27 3rd --*

Regular physical activity 50 43 10th --*

Massachusetts compared to US women

* no applicable objective


Summary

There are similarities and differences in health status between women and men in Massachusetts: Women are more likely to report poor health status, asthma and

arthritis than men Women are more likely than men to report consumption of 5+ fruits

and vegetables daily Black and Hispanic women are more likely to be obese than men

while white men are more likely to be obese than white women

Massachusetts women are healthier than US women on many indicators


SummaryAmong women in Massachusetts, patterns in use of

preventive services and health practices vary by race, income, education, and age:

The use of mammography has increased 24% from 1992 to 2000 in Massachusetts, and it is high for women of all race groups

Asian women are less likely to have a Pap test or a clinical breast exam

Black, Asian and Hispanic women are less likely to use birth control

Older white women are more likely to report sufficient calcium intake

Folic acid use is related to knowledge about its importance Women from low income families are more likely to experience

intimate partner abuse and sexual assault


Summary

The BRFSS is a robust, effective tool for tracking women's health issues in Massachusetts

For more data and information on women’s health issues, please visit the MDPH web site:

http://www.state.ma.us/dph

Additional Slide


Trends in the age-adjusted breast cancer mortality, Massachusetts, 1996-2000

31.530.8

29.0

27.226.9

20

25

30

35

1996 1997 1998 1999 2000

Dea

ths

per

100,

000

wom

en

Year

Health Survey Program Bureau of Health Statistics, Research, and Evaluation

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