Back to Annual Meeting Page		American Public Health Association 133rd Annual Meeting & Exposition December 10-14, 2005 Philadelphia, PA

Abstract #121442

Zipora Weinbaum, PhD, Office of Women's Health, MS 0027, California Dept of Health Services, P.O.Box 997413, Sacramento, CA 95899-7413, 916-440-7633, zweinbau@dhs.ca.gov

Background: This study was conducted to identify factors associated with CVD diagnosis among California adult women.

Methods: We analyzed data from the 2004 California Women's Health Survey (CWHS), an annual random computer-assisted telephone interview conducted in English and Spanish and coordinated by the California Department of Health Services. The study covered 4,281 California women.

Results: About 5.6% of the women reported that their doctor ever told them that they had a heart attack, heart disease or a stroke, defined as a CVD diagnosis. In a multiple logistic regression the following variables were associated with having a CVD diagnosis: Age >=55 (OR=6.0, 95% C.I. 4.2-8.5), having a physical/emotional limitation (OR=3.9, 95% C.I. 2.9-5.3), ever giving live birth (OR=2.2, 95% C.I. 1.4-3.5), ever diagnosed with diabetes (OR=2.0, 95% C.I. 1.3-3.0), below 200% poverty level (OR=1.7, 95% C.I. 1.2-2.4), ever diagnosed with breast/reproductive cancer (OR=1.5, 95% C.I. 1.0-2.5). Compared to older women with CVD, younger women with CVD were less likely to have health insurance (OR=0.1, 95% C.I. 0.1-0.4) and more likely to be non-white (OR=2.5, 95% C.I. 1.3-4.9). Additionally, more of the younger women with CVD responded to the survey in Spanish (17.0%), compared to the older women (8.2%).

Conclusions: Women most likely to have a CVD diagnosis were older, but they differed from the younger CVD women on a number of important factors.

Public Health Implications: Lack of health insurance and demographics of younger women are also factors that have to be considered with CVD-related prevention, outreach and treatment.

Learning Objectives: