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

The aim of this study is to report descriptive results of a recent survey on women's health and to analyse associations between perceived health status and health behaviour.

A cross-sectional survey on 609 women aged 20 to 95 years was performed in Innsbruck (Austria) in 1999.

Self-reported poor health status was 6% in the 20-39 age group, 10% 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% reduced risk of poor health status. Concerning the prevalence of self-reported morbidity, urogenital disorders (35%), allergies (32%), and headache (42%) were most frequent in younger women whereas skeletal disorders such as rheumatic diseases (41%), osteoporosis (39%), and invertebral disc damage (39%) in older women. Important health behaviour-related problems to be found 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.

Physical activity, smoking, overweight and stress revealed to be key-indicators for improving women's health.