TY - JOUR
T1 - Primary obstetrics and gynecology in developing countries
T2 - Shifting the focus to older women's health
AU - Simon, Melissa A.
AU - Dong, Xin Qi
PY - 2003/1/1
Y1 - 2003/1/1
N2 - When one thinks of the field of women's health in the developing world, traditionally, one immediately relates it to maternal health and care of those women of reproductive age. Little attention is given to older women's health care. Yet it has been documented that older women with poor access to care have higher age-adjusted mortality. As the abundant existing reproductive-aged women become older, the number of older women in the developing world will increase. In 1994, nearly 312 million of the world's 469 million elderly women resided in developing countries. Currently, out of the 600 million older women worldwide, there are over 400 million older women living in the developing world. It is estimated that by 2020 five out of seven will reside in developing countries, an absolute increase of about 360 million compared to 87 million in developed countries. This article focuses on some of the existing health problems, such as breast and cervical cancer, and their barriers in prevention, diagnosis, and treatment in older women in developing countries. It then discusses the emerging issues from a neglect of the multifaceted problems of older women's health. Finally, there is a call for a multidisciplinary approach to proposed solutions for future directions in this desperately needed field.
AB - When one thinks of the field of women's health in the developing world, traditionally, one immediately relates it to maternal health and care of those women of reproductive age. Little attention is given to older women's health care. Yet it has been documented that older women with poor access to care have higher age-adjusted mortality. As the abundant existing reproductive-aged women become older, the number of older women in the developing world will increase. In 1994, nearly 312 million of the world's 469 million elderly women resided in developing countries. Currently, out of the 600 million older women worldwide, there are over 400 million older women living in the developing world. It is estimated that by 2020 five out of seven will reside in developing countries, an absolute increase of about 360 million compared to 87 million in developed countries. This article focuses on some of the existing health problems, such as breast and cervical cancer, and their barriers in prevention, diagnosis, and treatment in older women in developing countries. It then discusses the emerging issues from a neglect of the multifaceted problems of older women's health. Finally, there is a call for a multidisciplinary approach to proposed solutions for future directions in this desperately needed field.
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U2 - 10.1016/S1068-607X(03)00073-8
DO - 10.1016/S1068-607X(03)00073-8
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:0242412980
SN - 1068-607X
VL - 10
SP - 300
EP - 303
JO - Primary Care Update for Ob/Gyns
JF - Primary Care Update for Ob/Gyns
IS - 6
ER -