Hawaii wins honors
in women’s health

The islands rank highest among all
the states in improving women's health care

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By Helen Altonn
haltonn@starbulletin.com

Hawaii, for the second year, ranks highest in the nation in improving health care for women, but certain groups are not doing well, says Jeanne Ohta, executive director of the Hawaii State Commission on the Status of Women.

"Basically, a lot of states haven't done much," she said. "We've done some very good things, but I don't think we've done enough."

Louisiana was rated the most unhealthy state for women in the study, which focused on more than 60 categories.

And nationally, the state of women's health was labeled "unsatisfactory."

The study of 50 states and the District of Columbia was done by the National Women's Law Center, Oregon Health and Science University and the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine.

Hawaii women were tops in life expectancy, mental health, available health care and abortion facilities, and lowest breast cancer death rate.

They ranked second highest in the men vs. women wage gap, third in percentage of smokers and seventh for diabetes.

Of serious health concern, however, are native Hawaiian and Filipino women, who have higher breast cancer mortality rates than other women, Ohta said. Native Hawaiian women also have higher rates of diabetes, she said.

"Also, access to care is not available in certain rural areas and on the Big Island."

Hawaii fell in the middle of states in lack of leisure time and physical activity, eating fruits and vegetables, and poverty, according to the study.

"The poverty issue is big," Ohta said, "because 47 percent of single women with children live in poverty in this state."

Many women do not have a nutritious diet because of poverty, Ohta said. "When we look at food drives for the Food Bank and other food pantries, we're looking at canned goods."

The Food Bank ran out of protein and has had to use cash donations from foundations to buy it, she said.

Lack of medical insurance also is a significant factor in women's health, she said, pointing to Hawaii's increasing numbers of uninsured people.

A Hawaii Uninsured Project has been launched by health groups and public and private agencies to address the uninsured dilemma.