The Innsbruck Women's Health Study 1999: health status and behaviour

Objectives: The aim of this study is to report descriptive results of a rec ent survey on women's health and to analyse associations between perceived health status and health behaviour. Methods: A cross-sectional survey on 60 9 women aged 20 to 95 years was performed in Innsbruck (Austria) in 1999. Results: Self-reported poor health status was 6 % in the 20-39 age group, 1 0 % in the 40-59 age group and 20 % in the 60 and older age group. Age and physical activity were significant predictors for health status. Women who performed physical activities on a regular basis had a more than 70 % reduc ed risk of poor health status. Concerning the prevalence of self-reported m orbidity, urogenital disorders (35 % ), allergies (32 %), and headache (42 %) were most frequent in younger women whereas skeletal disorders such as r heumatic diseases (41 %), osteoporosis (39 %), and invertebral disc damage (39 %) in older women. Important health behaviour-related problems to be fo und were 40 % smoking among women under 40, and 42 % overweight or obesity among women over 60. Stress affected 37 % of women under 60 years of age. Conclusions: Physical activity, smoking, overweight and stress revealed to be key-indicators for improving women's health.