The prevalence of clinical preventive services utilization by older women

The purpose of this study was to estimate the extent to which women ages 65 and older were in compliance with the 1989 U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) recommendations for clinical preventive services. Data from the 1991 Health Promotion and Disease Prevention Supplement of the National Health Interview Survey of 5,574 women ages 65 and older were analyzed to determine the proportion in three age-groups (65 to 74 years, 75 to 84 years, and 85 years and older) who reported receiving recommended screening, counseling, and immunization services. Sixty percent of women ages 65 and over had had a routine check-up within the last year, and 78% had had one within the past 2 years. However, fewer than 1% reported receiving all recommended screening services (history, physical examination, and laboratory/diagnostic testing) or all recommended counseling services, and only 5.3% of women were current with recommended immunizations. As age increased, the number of services received tended to decrease in all categories of clinical preventive services except immunizations. The prevalence of receipt of clinical preventive services by older women is unacceptably low. Greater effort must be focused on educating both women and their primary health care providers about the USPSTF recommendations and why they are important in achieving health benefits.