The Women's Health and Minority Checkbook

A new statistical resource on women’s health is now available! The Women’s Health and Mortality Chartbook was released by the Office on Women’s Health and provides an easy-to-use collection of current jurisdiction data on critical issues of relevance to women. In total, 28 different health indicators are featured, highlighting key issues related to women’s health and providing the most accurate and up-to-date data available for each state, including Guam, Puerto Rico, and the US Virgin Islands. Indicators include major causes of death (heart disease, cancers, and stroke, among others) as well as health risk factors (obesity, smoking, high blood pressure, etc.) and preventive care measures (mammogram, pap smear, colorectal screening, etc.) Complete profiles for all states are available as pdf documents, with detailed technical notes and documents also available as additional resources.

Data available for Illinois indicates the following:

“Of the state’s 6.5 million women, nearly two thirds are non-Hispanic White. Its largest minority populations are non-Hispanic Black, at 16 percent, and Hispanic, at 14 percent. It ranks in the top 15 states in its low rates of death for suicide, unintentional injuries, diabetes-related causes and chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases. It has a much poorer record in rates of death for breast cancer, coronary heart disease, influenza and pneumonia, and colorectal cancer. Not surprisingly, it ranks among the worst states in the percentage of women who have had recent colorectal cancer screening. Illinois ranks in the middle of the nation in cholesterol screening, mammograms, and Pap smears. Eighty-seven percent of its women have health insurance, with Hispanic women having the lowest rate of insurance coverage, at 68 percent. Eighty-seven percent of its women have health insurance, with Hispanic women having the lowest rate of insurance coverage, at 68 percent.”

A look at breast cancer death rates across the nation demonstrates the geographic variability of this indicator. Certain areas of the south and east have the highest rates of breast cancer deaths among women, while the west exhibits the lowest rates, as seen below:

Clearly, this data has implications for women's health research and practice in Illinois and beyond. At a local level, there is a need to increase screening and prevention programs for both colorectal and breast cancer, and significant improvements are also possible in the areas of cholesterol screening, mammograms, and Pap smears. At a national level, geographic disparities are present for every indicator, indicating the need for continued research and prevention programs that are tailored to the prominent needs of the local population. Our own BIRCWH scholars are actively engaged in a number of research efforts that address the health indicators presented in this publication.

Access the Women’s Health and Mortality Chartbook to learn more about your state and our greater nation. The full publication, which offers profile of each state as well as national comparison rates for the each indicator, is also available online.