Women’s Weight: Findings from the Australian Longtitudinal study on Women’s Health

Publisher: Australian Government Department of Health and Ageing, 2007

Status – CURRENT

This report has been prepared on the basis of discussions between the ALSWH research team and staff of the Department of Health and Ageing and presents findings on women’s weight from four surveys of the three cohorts. This report addressed questions relating to trends in women’s weight, height and BMI, factors to predict weight change, the effects of weight on health and the effects of weight on health care usage.

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Trends in Women’s health: Results from the ALSWH- priority conditions, risk factors and health behaviours

Publisher: Australian Government Department of Health& Ageing, 2006

Status – CURRENT

The Australian Longitudinal Study on Women’s Health (ALSWH) is a longitudinal population-based survey funded by the Australian Government Department of Health and Ageing. This report aims to address the prevalence and incidence of selected chronic conditions, what the characteristics of women with different chronic conditions and what the long-term effects of risk factors have on women’s health.

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Indigenous Women’s Report Card: Supplement to the Women’s Report Card 2005 – Summary 2006

Publisher: Department For Communities 2006. Perth, Western Australia

Status – CURRENT

Summary update of the Women’s Report Cards related to Indigenous Women of Western Australian across a range of key indicators in areas such as health, wellbeing, safety, work and education. The Women’s Report Cards provide an evidence base to inform government and private sector policies, services and programs, as well as giving a snapshot of Western Australian women’s lives.

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Partner Violence and the Health of Australian Women

Publisher: Australian Longitudinal Study on Women’s Health, 2005

Status – CURRENT

The Australian Longitudinal Study on Women’s Health (ALSWH) has added significantly to our understanding of the effects of partner violence. Partner violence has a serious impact on women’s physical and mental health, including increased symptoms and  medical conditions, such as sexually transmitted infections (including cervical cancer) and depressive illness. Not surprisingly, women who have lived in violent relationships use health services more often than other women, and are especially more likely than others to visit their GPs. Other life experiences can help or hinder the health and wellbeing of women who have experienced partner violence. For example, women with high social support are healthier than those without.

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Rural Women and Health Service Use

Publisher: Australian Longitudinal Study on Women’s Health, 2005

Status – CURRENT

The Australian Longitudinal Study on Women’s Health (ALSWH) regularly collects information about how women in three age cohorts rate their access to health care services, including questions about how often they visit the doctor, their access to bulk billing, female GPs, the number of GPs from which to choose, their satisfaction with the GP consultation, their preference for a female GP, and so on.

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Mental Health

Publisher: Australian Longitudinal Study on Women’s Health, 2005

Status – CURRENT

Mental health problems lead to more disability, dependence, and time out of the workforce than any other type of health problem in Australia. This is largely because they often occur among young people, and because – once established – they tend to re-occur across the lifespan. The Australian Longitudinal Study on Women’s Health (ALSWH) uses several standard self-report measures of mental health, including the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale and the SF-36 Mental Health Index. In addition, the research team has developed a measure of perceived stress specifically for the project. Women are also asked about psychotropic medications and diagnoses of mental health problems.

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The Generations

Publisher: Australian Longitudinal Study of Women’s Health, 2005

Status – CURRENT

Australia’s changing demographics raise issues for social and financial sustainability. These will affect women more strongly than men, for several reasons. It is mainly women who care for children and for frail and disabled family members, even though most women – even young mothers – are now also in the paid workforce. And while many women have moved into higher education and professional careers, they still predominate in part-time and casual positions, and most have some time out of the workforce to undertake family care. The Australian Longitudinal Study on Women’s Health (ALSWH) provides an opportunity to look at links between women’s health and changes in Australia.

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Alcohol Consumption and Women’s Health

Publisher: Australian Longitudinal Study of Women’s Health, 2005

Status – CURRENT

The Australian Longitudinal Study on Women’s Health (ALSWH) regularly collects information about women’s health and health behaviors, including their consumption of alcohol. Drinking alcohol at risky levels increases the likelihood of illness, hospitalisation and death. But while heavy drinking has negative health, social and  economic implications, there may be some benefits from low alcohol consumption.

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Healthy Ageing

Publisher: Australian Longitudinal Study of Women’s Health, 2005

Status – CURRENT

The Australian Longitudinal Study on Women’s Health (ALSWH) provides a picture of ageing that challenges negative stereotypes. At the time of the first survey in 1996, the women in the older cohort were aged 70-75 years. These women were selected at random from the population and represented the full range of health and functioning at that age. At this time over one third of the women rated their health as excellent or very good and fewer than five percent rated their health as poor. By Survey 3 in 2002, although the women were aged 76-81, the overall responses on self-rated health were unchanged.

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Young Women: Tobacco, Alcohol and other drugs

Publisher: Australian Longitudinal Study of Women’s Health, 2005

Status – CURRENT

There is public concern about young women’s use of tobacco, alcohol and other recreational drugs. In particular, there is a perception that it is increasing, and there is apprehension about potential long term consequences. The Australian Longitudinal Study on Women’s Health (ALSWH) supports concerns that tobacco continues to pose a major challenge to women’s health. Evidence from the Study suggests that inappropriate use of alcohol and other drugs is relatively uncommon and is often limited to a brief period in young women’s lives. Nevertheless it has the potential for serious long-term consequences

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