Nonelderly women in California: A health snapshot…an eye opener for me…what about you??

Many non elderly Women Have Limited Incomes
One-third (34%) of non elderly women in California were low income in 2007, with family incomes below 200% of the Federal Poverty Level (FPL).1 Among the women in this group, 17% had family incomes that were 0-99% FPL, and another 17% had family incomes at 100-199% FPL. An additional 23% were moderate income, with family incomes that were 200-399% FPL. Among the subgroups of women ages 18-64, those with higher proportions of low-income women were African Americans (41%), American Indian/Alaska Natives (47%), Latinas (58%), younger women (ages 18–29; 46%) and single parents (66%).
Poor Health Is More Prevalent among Women in Mid-Age and Women of Color Approximately one in five (18%) non elderly women reported being in fair or poor health; the rate nearly doubled for women with low incomes (32%). Additionally, among low income women ages 45–64, almost half (48%) reported being in fair or poor health.
High Blood Pressure Nearly one in five (19%) non elderly women had ever been diagnosed with high blood pressure.2 Rates increased with age: 11% of women in the 18–44 age group had been diagnosed with high blood pressure, compared to 33% of women ages 45–64. Within subgroups of women 45–64, this high prevalence condition had been diagnosed in half or more of American Indian/Alaska Native (50%) and African American (59%) women, as well as in approximately one in three Latinas (34%), Asian/Pacific Islander women (33%) and white women (29%).
Diabetes
Five percent of non elderly women reported having ever been diagnosed with diabetes.3 Prevalence rates rose with age and differed by race and ethnicity. Among all women 45–64, the prevalence of diabetes was 9%; rates were higher among African American women (17%) and Latinas (15%), who had approximately twice the rate of both white and Asian/Pacific Islander women (7% each).
Overweight and Obesity
Based on self-reported height and weight, one in five (21%) non elderly women was obese, and an additional 29% were overweight.5 Women ages 18–29 had the lowest rate of obesity (13%), with the rate increasing to 22%-26% among women ages 30–64.
Smoking Rates Still High for Some Groups
Slightly more than one in ten (12%) non elderly women—approximately 1.3 million— reported that they smoked cigarettes.
Lack of Coverage Is Associated with Less Preventive Care:
Physician Visit
Overall, 13% of non elderly women had not visited a physician in the past year, with rates three times higher for uninsured women (29%)
than for women with employment-based coverage (8%).
Mammography Screening
Overall, 79% of women ages 40–64 had received a mammogram within the past two years.
Pap Test Screening
Among women ages 21–64, 90% had received a Pap test screen in the past three years.
Discussion
Many disparities in health and health care access exist among non elderly women in California. The recently enacted health care reform provides opportunities to reduce some of these disparities. Implementation of provisions of the reform will begin this year and will continue through 2014, when the major reforms that expand access to health insurance coverage will be fully in place.