Our Bureau of Women’s and Children’s Health team released the Arizona Women’s Health Status Report recently. The report details how Arizona women are doing toward achieving optimal health and wellness. Topics covered in the report include physical activity, oral health, mental health, access to care and general wellness.
The good news is that 83% of Arizona women report having good to excellent health, but the report shows that 50% of women over 25 years old are overweight or obese. As is often the case in public health- women with lower incomes face bigger challenges with their health. The percentage of women who reported being physically active increased with education and income. Among women who had an annual income of less than $20K- 31% reported frequent mental distress, while only 6% of those with an annual income of $50K or more reported mental distress.
The social determinants of health have been well-established in public health literature, and this report really brings home the connection between income and educational levels to health outcomes, in addition to race and ethnicity, among Arizonan women.
