Women's Health Australia homepage about the Women's Health Australia project Women's Health Australia staff Women's Health Australia current events Women's Health Australia surveys and data Women's Health Australia substudies information for Women's Health Australia participants University of Newcastle contact Women's Health Australia Women's Health Australia publications and presentations University of Queenlsand Women's Health Australia homepage about the Women's Health Australia project Women's Health Australia staff Women's Health Australia current events Women's Health Australia surveys and data Women's Health Australia substudies information for Women's Health Australia participants University of Newcastle contact Women's Health Australia Women's Health Australia publications and presentations Women's Health Australia homepage about the Women's Health Australia project Women's Health Australia staff Women's Health Australia current events Women's Health Australia surveys and data Women's Health Australia substudies information for Women's Health Australia participants University of Newcastle contact Women's Health Australia Women's Health Australia publications and presentations Women's Health Australia homepage about the Women's Health Australia project Women's Health Australia staff Women's Health Australia current events Women's Health Australia surveys and data Women's Health Australia substudies information for Women's Health Australia participants University of Newcastle contact Women's Health Australia Women's Health Australia publications and presentations

Women's Health Australia homepage about the Women's Health Australia project Women's Health Australia staff Women's Health Australia current events Women's Health Australia surveys and data Women's Health Australia substudies information for Women's Health Australia participants University of Newcastle contact Women's Health Australia Women's Health Australia publications and presentations Women's Health Australia homepage about the Women's Health Australia project Women's Health Australia staff Women's Health Australia current events Women's Health Australia surveys and data Women's Health Australia substudies information for Women's Health Australia participants University of Newcastle contact Women's Health Australia Women's Health Australia publications and presentations

 
 


Ageing

Data from the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women’s Health provide a long-term view on the health and well-being of women as they age, and help to identify some of the many physical, social, and health care factors that mark out those women who remain healthy and independent. Data for the 6720 women who responded to all four surveys, show an accelerating decline in average physical health over the first nine years of the study (see Figure). However, an important and large proportion of the women experienced minimal change in their physical health in this period. These women who maintained higher levels of health over the duration of the study also had lower than average use of health services and used fewer medications.

Women were most likely to maintain high levels of quality of life into their 80’s if they had few symptoms and conditions at the start of the study. The most common symptoms reported by women at all surveys were stiff and painful joints, back pain, difficulty sleeping, eyesight problems, poor memory, tiredness, indigestion, allergies, headaches and constipation. There was little change in reporting of symptoms between surveys, but there were some increases in the proportions of women reporting difficulties with hearing and vision. While chronic disease was a strong risk factor for declining health, many women aged well in spite of longstanding medical conditions.


Proportion of Older women experiencing decline for Surveys 1 to 4.

 


For further information on ageing, see our other publications:

Reports

  • Byles J, Warner-Smith P & the ALSWH team. Women in an Ageing Australian Population. Summary report prepared for the Australian Government Department of Health and Ageing. Australian Longitudinal Study on Women’s Health, University of Newcastle & University of Queensland. August 2003.
  • Byles J, Warner-Smith P, Brotherston R & Lee C. Women in an ageing population: Selected findings of the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women’s Health. Report prepared for the Australian Government Department of Health and Ageing. Australian Longitudinal Study on Women’s Health, University of Newcastle & University of Queensland. June 2003.
  • ALSWH. Ad hoc analyses for the Office for Older Australians. Australian Longitudinal Study on Women’s Health, University of Newcastle & University of Queensland. September 2000.
  • ALSWH. Healthy ageing. Summary report prepared for the Australian Government Department of Health and Ageing. Australian Longitudinal Study on Women’s Health, University of Newcastle & University of Queensland. April 2005.


Papers

  • Byles JE, Feldman S & Mishra G. For richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health: Older widowed women’s health, relationships and financial security. Women and Health, 1999; 29(1): 15-29.
  • Byles J. Over the hill and picking up speed: Older women of the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women's Health. Australian Journal on Ageing, 1999; 18(3 Supp): 55-62.
  • Feldman S, Byles JE & Beaumont R. Is anybody listening?: The experiences of widowhood for older Australian women. Journal of Women and Ageing, 2000; 12: 155-176.
  • Patterson AJ, Young AF, Powers JR, Brown WJ & Byles JE. Relationships between nutrition screening checklists and the health and well being of older Australian women. Public Health Nutrition, 2002; 5(1): 65-71.
  • Feldman S, Byles J, Mishra G & Powers J. The health and social needs of recently widowed older women in Australia. Australasian Journal on Ageing, 2002; 21(3): 135-140.
  • Byles JE, Mishra GD, Harris MA & Nair K. The problems of sleep for older women: Changes in health outcomes. Age and Aging, 2003; 32(2): 154-163.
  • Young AF, Russell A & Powers JR. The sense of belonging to a neighbourhood: Can it be measured and is it related to health and well being in older women? Social Science and Medicine, 2004; 59(12): 2627-2637.
  • Smith N, Young A & Lee C. Optimism, health-related hardiness and well-being among older Australian women. Journal of Health Psychology, 2004; 9(6): 741-752.
  • Mackenzie L, Byles J & Mishra G. An occupational focus on falls and serious injury among older women in Australia. Australian Occupational Therapy Journal, 2004; 51(3): 144-154.
  • Byles J, Powers J, Chojenta C & Warner-Smith P. Older women in Australia: Aging in urban, rural and remote environments. Australasian Journal on Ageing, 2006; 25(3): 151-157.
  • Byles JE, Young AF, Furuya H & Parkinson L. A drink to healthy ageing: The association between older women's use of alcohol and their health-related quality of life. Journal of American Geriatric Society, 2006; 54(9): 1341-1347.
  • Adamson L, & Parker G. 'There's more to life than just walking': Older women's ways of staying healthy and happy. Journal of Aging and Physical Activity, 2006; 14: 380-391.
  • Byles J & Feldman S. The lives of older widowed women. Just Policy, 2006; 39: 23-28.
  • Byles J, Young A, & Wheway V. Annual health assessments for Older Australian Women: uptake and equity. Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health, 2007; 31: 170-173.
  • Sibbritt, D.W., Byles, J.E. & Regan C.Factors associated with decline in physical function in a cohort of older women. Age and Ageing. 2007. Doi: 10.1093/ageing/afm017



 
Link to Project Aims page Link to Project Progress page Link to Project Methods page Link to Project Progress page 		 


 

Last updated: 25 July 2007 by Cath Chojenta © Copyright