Status Report on Women's Health in Houston Area Released

A new study focusing on women's health in the Houston /Harris County area confirms what many people have thought: education, income and health are closely related. Put another way, income and education are huge determinants for a woman's good health.

Houston seems to be an appropriate community to study. This is a very cosmopolitan urban area.

"Our demographic mix here is what the country will look like in the not-too-distant future," says Dr. Kathryn E. Peek, author of the study and research professor at Texas Woman's University-Houston Center. The study's 1997 data indicates a significant growth in both the Hispanic and Asian populations since 1970. The number of births in Harris County in 1997 is itself a good indicator of the demographic shifts: of the 59,114 babies born, 32 percent were Anglo, 19 percent were African American, 44 percent were Hispanic and 5 percent were Asian and other races. These percentages roughly mirror the ethnic breakdown of Houston and Harris County.

The study was commissioned by the Greater Houston Women's Foundation. Eight health indicators were selected to study the relationship between women's health and their education, employment and income. Following are some highlights from the report.

Social Environment: Women and girls in our community are somewhat younger and less likely to be born here than women and girls across the U.S. African- American and Hispanic women are more likely to live in households with low incomes.

Perinatal Data: While the birth rate across the U.S. is declining (a low of 14.5 births per 1,000 population), the birth rate in Harris County is higher (18.7 percent) due to a larger proportion of women of child-bearing age. Women with higher education levels are far more likely, in Harris County, to seek prenatal care beginning in the first trimester of pregnancy.

Leading Causes of Death: Heart disease is the number 1 killer of women, in Harris County and across the country. Cancer was the second leading cause of death, with lung cancer deaths significantly higher than breast cancer. Low household income is a significant factor in both heart disease and cancer.

Chronic Illness: "While 51 percent of all babies are males, men do tend to die at higher rates over all ages," says Dr. Peek. "But women have a higher morbidity - they suffer from more chronic diseases than men: hypertension, arthritis, sinus condition, diabetes, and a lot of conditions like this that aren't deadly." Life expectancy for women in Houston is high, 80 years - and it will continue to increase. "About half of the women who turn 50 years old this year will live to be 100," says Dr. Peek.

"We have a lot of planning to do with the `graying of America,'" says Dr. Mary desVignes-Kendrick, director of the Houston Department of Health and Human Services. "Chronic disease in older women will require its own workforce."

Health Behaviors: More poor women smoke than women with higher incomes, and many more Anglos and African-American women smoke (25 percent and 22 percent, respectively) than do Hispanic or Asian women (11 percent and 4 percent). Other risk factors that contribute to chronic illnesses - obesity and alcohol usage - are also significantly tied to educational levels.

"Women are the traditional caregivers in the family, and the decision makers about health care," says Dr. Peek. "So their health is vital to the entire family unit."

Dr. Peek returns to the subject of living longer. "Longevity is only about 20 percent genetic; 80 percent of living longer is in our control. So it's important for young women to realize that good health - and living a healthy lifestyle - has a real influence not only on longevity, but on quality of life."

Both Dr. Peek and Dr. Kendrick warn about the fragility of the "safety net" of public health care. "Public health services are threatened from different sides, and that safety net is in crisis," says Dr. Peek. "This affects women disproportionately."

"We're doing better in providing what kinds of services we offer and where they are located," says Dr. Kendrick. "But we're not fully there yet. We will continue to see new immigrants coming to our city, and we will need to guarantee their access into the medical care system."

"Women demonstrate a tremendous resiliency," says Dr. Peek. "And awareness of health issues has never been better. So there's much that is positive. But in this era of economic prosperity, there are discrepancies."

If you would like a copy of "Women's Health in the Greater Houston Area - A Status Report," write to Texas Woman's University-Houston Center, 1130 M. D. Anderson Blvd., Houston 77030-2897.

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©2006 Texas Medical Center

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