Tennessee Women Encouraged to Consider Their Health During National Women’s Health Week

The Tennessee Department of Health joins the United States Department of Health and Human Services’ Office on Women’s Health in celebrating National Women’s Health Week May 11 through 17, 2008. This nationwide initiative calls attention to the importance of women’s health and educates women on simple steps they can take for longer, healthier and happier lives.

1. “National Women’s Health Week is important because it encourages women to make their own health a top priority,” says Health Commissioner Susan R. Cooper, MSN, RN. “Women are often the caregivers for their families and forget to take care of themselves. With this health observance, we remind women that a commitment to their best health is also a commitment to the health of their families.”

The theme for National Women’s Health Week 2008 is “It’s Your Time:  Get Inspired. Get Healthy.” The Tennessee Department of Health produces an annual report, “The Health of Tennessee’s Women,” which outlines areas in which Tennessee women are improving their health, and areas where improvement is still needed. The most recent summary of the health of Tennessee’s women was released in January 2008, and includes figures from 2006.

TDOH statistics included in the report show heart disease remains the leading cause of death of Tennessee women in 2006. However, rates of heart disease among Tennessee women have declined steadily since 2002. Rates of death from cerebrovascular diseases, such as stroke, have also declined each year since 1999, but figures from the past 10 years show death rates from cerebrovascular diseases are higher for Tennessee women than for men.

There are simple steps all Tennessee women can take to reduce their risk for heart disease and stroke, as well as other top causes of death such as cancer and diabetes. The Tennessee Tobacco QuitLine is a counseling service available at no charge to all Tennesseans who want to stop tobacco use. Quitting smoking greatly reduces an individual’s risk of heart disease, stroke and cancer. For more information, contact the QuitLine at 1-800-QUIT-NOW, or visit the Web site at http://health.state.tn.us/tobaccoquitline.htm. Tennessee’s county health departments also offer smoking cessation services. Contact your local county health department for details.

Governor Phil Bredesen’s Get Fit Tennessee initiative is designed to empower Tennesseans to reduce their risk of Type 2 diabetes. Get Fit encourages individuals to start with small changes to improve their eating habits and increase physical activity to improve overall health. The Get

Fit Web site offers a variety of tips and activities, including the Fitness Tracker feature to set goals, monitor progress, and challenge others to Get Fit as well. Learn more at www.getfittn.com.

National Women’s Health Week also includes National Women’s Check-up Day which is being observed on Monday, May 12, 2008. All Tennessee women are encouraged to visit their health provider for evaluation on current health status, needed screenings such as mammograms and pap smears, and suggestions for improving health. TDOH offers a variety of women’s health services, including family planning, prenatal care and the breast and cervical cancer screening program. For more on TDOH women’s health services, visit http://health.state.tn.us/womenshealth/womenshealth.htm.

The TDOH report “The Health of Tennessee’s Women 2006” is available on the TDOH Web site at http://health.state.tn.us/statistics/PdfFiles/WmnsHlth2006.pdf.

For more information on National Women’s Health Week go to http://www.womenshealth.gov/whw/.