Women’s Health
Women’s Health combines the rates for major health events reported by the Missouri Department of Health for women living in the St. Louis area. Major health events include injuries, cancer cases, hospitalizations, and ER visits (for more detail, see table at the end of this indicator). In 2016, we estimate that adult women experienced 6,906 major health events based on an annual rate of 962 major health events per 100,000 women.
Women’s Health Indicator Scores
City of
St. Louis
St. Louis
County
St. Charles
County
St. Clair
County
Data Note: Major health events include cases of lung cancer, breast cancer, and cervical cancer, and hospitalizations for heart disease, stroke, chronic lower respiratory disease, musculoskeletal issues, diabetes, pneumonia and influenza, intentional injury, inflammatory pelvic disease, hysterectomies, and mastectomies. Rates are per year per 100,000 population and are age-adjusted to the U.S. 2000 standard population. The age-adjusted rates are rates that would have existed if the population under study had the same age distribution as the “standard” population. Age-adjusting rates is a way to make fairer comparisons between groups with different age distributions. Data year differs depending on the disease. St. Clair County is not included because most of the indicators included in the index are not reported by the Illinois Department of Public Health.
What does this score mean?
A score of 100 represents racial equity, meaning there are no racial disparities in the outcomes between black and white populations. The lower the Equity Score, the greater the disparity.
For Women’s Health, a score of 100 – a score reflecting racial equity – would mean black and white women are equally healthy. It is important to note that for this indicator, equity is not our only goal; we also want to improve outcomes for all.
WHAT DOES THIS ANALYSIS MEAN?
Black women are over twice as likely as white women to experience major health events. In both St. Louis City and County, black women are twice as likely to experience a major health event (1,836 events among black women per 100,000 women relative to 878 among white women in the City of St. Louis; 1,479 events among black women per 100,000 women relative to 727 among white women in St. Louis County). In St. Charles County, black women are about 34% more likely to experience a major health event (1,000 events among black women per 100,000 relative to 748 events among white women per 100,000).
If women’s health were equitable, black women would suffer:
- 579 fewer major health events per year in the City of St. Louis,
- 16 fewer major health events per year in St. Charles County, and
- 749 fewer major health events per year in St. Louis County.
Why Does Women’s Health Matter?
Women are the social and economic cornerstone of many families. According to 2016 American Community Survey data, women-led households represent 49% of all family households in St. Louis, supporting an average of 3.4 people (more than any other type of household, including married couples). Women’s health is affected by complex socioeconomic and environmental factors, including poverty, employment, and neighborhood. However, many treatments for disease and illness were developed based only on clinical trials of men, despite there being differences by sex for risk factors, symptoms, and responses to treatment.
Which Calls to Action from the Ferguson Commission’s report are linked with this indicator?
While the Ferguson Commission’s report did not explicitly call out women’s health, the calls to actions related to this indicator include:
Questions for Further Investigation:
- Why is there a racial disparity in Women’s Health?
- What can St. Louis do to reduce racial disparities in Women’s Health?
- What initiatives are currently underway to reduce racial disparities in Women’s Health?
How can I learn more about this issue?
There are few studies focused on the health of black women in St. Louis or Missouri, with the exception of maternal health. The most recent study of black health from 2015 by For the Sake of All, now Health Equity Works, frames health issues of women who are not mothers or pregnant as “preconception,” and focuses on women in the reproductive health section. In 2013, the Missouri Foundation for Health commissioned a study on African American Health Disparities in Missouri, which includes chapters on cancer, emergency room visits, and inpatient hospitalizations, in addition to Maternal Health. Some of these chapters break out women’s and men’s rates separately.
Women’s Health Data
| All | Black | White | Disparity Ratio | Equity Score | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Average Number of Annual Major Health Events for Women | 1,806 | 1,109 | 544 | ||
Adult Women | 130,428 | 60,409 | 61,972 | ||
Major Health Events per 100,000 Adult Women | 1,384.40 | 1,835.60 | 878 | 2.091 to 1 | 40 |
| All | Black | White | Disparity Ratio | Equity Score | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Average Number of Annual Major Health Events for Women | 3,912 | 1,473 | 2,107 | ||
Adult Women | 416,079 | 99,580 | 289,741 | ||
Major Health Events per 100,000 Adult Women | 940.28 | 1,479.37 | 727.34 | 2.042 to 1 | 40 |
| All | Black | White | Disparity Ratio | Equity Score | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Average Number of Annual Major Health Events for Women | 1,188 | 65 | 1,044 | ||
Adult Women | 171,398 | 6,551 | 139,547 | ||
Major Health Events per 100,000 Adult Women | 693.13 | 999.63 | 748.45 | 1.336 to 1 | 69 |
Data Not Available