Abstract
The health of women residing in the developing countries is not limited to reproductive health conditions or infectious diseases. While these illnesses remain serious threats to a healthy life, as the population ages, the prevalence of illnesses considered to be of significance only in industrialized nations also increasingly afflicts the residents of the developing worlds. The health and well-being of the older women was evaluated in the 2003 Women’s Health Study of Accra. This community based survey and clinical and laboratory examination of 1,328 women identified a significantly high prevalence of malaria and chronic, non-communicable diseases in all age groups without regard to education level or income. Hypertension, diabetes and obesity are significantly prevalent in women age 50 years and older. The prevalence of conditions which adversely affect health and quality of life, including impaired visual acuity, poor dentition, pain and limitations with mobility is significant in the women age 50 years and older. While these data are specific to Ghana, they have the potential to be generalizable to women in other urban areas in transition. As the life expectancy is increasing in developing countries, an increased awareness and treatment of chronic health conditions in the older women is critical to ensure a healthy life as they enter their golden years.
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Acknowledgements
The study was paid for by a consortium of funders including USAID/Ghana through the co-operative agreement for Applied Research on Child Health with Boston University School of Public Health; by the World Health Organization project on the Minimum Data Set on Ageing in Sub-Saharan Africa; by the Fulbright Program, Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, US State Department; by grants in kind from the Ghana AIDS Commission; Beth Israel Deaconess Hospital; and institutional support from the Institute for Statistical, Social and Economic Research, University of Ghana; the Ghana Medical School; Korle Bu Teaching Hospital; the Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research and the Harvard School of Public Health. The Office co-ordinator was Mrs. Christine Edusei-Mensah, the field co-ordinator was Mrs. Maame Odum; and the Field Supervisors included Raphael Arku, John K Cobbah, Grace Nyante, John M Yeyie and Samuel Sundong. We acknowledge the hard work and dedication of the 21 interviewers some of whom also served as counselors in the clinic. Research Assistants included Michael Cantey and Innocent Dennoo. We thank in addition the 28 physicians who examined the women.
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Duda, R.B., Anarfi, J.K., Adanu, R.M.K. et al. The Health of the “Older Women” in Accra, Ghana: Results of the Women’s Health Study of Accra. J Cross Cult Gerontol 26, 299–314 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10823-011-9148-8
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10823-011-9148-8