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Women’s well being affect family health, says report
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Posted on Feb 03 1999
The well being of the community is directly related with the state of health of women, according to a paper prepared by Mojdeh Bruss of the Department of Public Health.
If society keeps their women population healthy, the same positive impact can be felt by the family and the entire community.
Bruss is the nutritionist of DPH and she presented her study during the International Women’s Congress held in Manila last December.
She argued that understanding the role of women as health preserver of the family is critical.
“By becoming familiar with health problems affecting women and families in traditional island societies, strategies can be developed to address solutions,” she said.
Based on earlier studies made by DPH, indigenous women were dying young because of obesity, atherosclerosis, hypertension and diabetes. These are also the common causes of death in the CNMI.
In addition to these non-communicable chronic diseases, their access to care and information were also considered obstacles to achieving optimum health.
A project dubbed as Healthy Women-Healthy Families-Strong Communities was launched last year to address the growing health concerns of women. It was aimed to establish strong link with women.
For its first conference, it gathered 300 women in discussions about osteoporosis, menopause and preventive measures. A free health assessment was also offered.
“The women were able to obtain health information and gain better understanding of their own health situation,” she said.
According to Bruss, the shift of traditional island life to modern living had impact on women. It affected not only their role as caretakers but it also threatens their own well being.
“As they move into a market economy, traditional women, who once were trained to focus only on the needs of others, are caught in a conflict,” she added.
By organizing this women organization, she hopes to send health messages to society, including to the male population.
