 |
|
page 7 | page 8 | page 9 | page 10 | page 11 | page 12 page 13 | page 14 | page 15 | page 16 page 17 | page 18 | page 19 | page 20 references | nursing assessment | patient handout table of contents | test
Aging of WomenA woman's health after menopause has assumed greater importance than ever before for at least 2 reasons: population growth and the aging of this population. Since 1960, the older segment of the US population has been growing more rapidly than the younger age groups, and there is no sign of this trend slowing. Census estimates show that 30 million US women are now in or past menopause, and another 6 million or more will reach this stage of life in the next decade.(1)In addition to simple population growth, life expectancy is slowly and progressively increasing. The result is that the older population is itself aging. By the year 2020, more than 1 in 5 Americans will be even older; the number of women older than 65 years will have grown from 18 million in 1990 to more than 25 million in 2020.(1) The traditional healthcare approach viewed menopause simply as an event in the aging process. For women living at the beginning of the 20th century this view may have made sense. But the fact that life span has increased dramatically since that time, makes a reexamination of menopause critical. A woman born in 1900 had a life span of only 48.3 years. Today, the average life span for women is around 80 years. And a woman born in 2050 can expect a life span of 83.6 years.(2) The obvious implication is that the percentage of the typical life spent in older age is increasing. Despite the change in life span, the age of menopause has remained relatively stable. In 1900 the average age of menopause was 47, a time that was near the end of life. Today, the average age of menopause is 51.4. This means that women spend more than one third of their life beyond menopause (Figure 1).(3,4) The ideal scenario of health after menopause is that of maximum vigor until death. This is in contrast to the traditional concept of aging that views gradually diminishing function, including fading eyesight and hearing, impaired cognitive function and memory, and decreased strength and stamina as the norm. Although some decline is unavoidable, much of what is considered normal aging can be modified with lifestyle and pharmacologic interventions.
More than ever before, the perimenopausal woman can set a course for healthier aging. It is important for nurses to help women begin to think about menopause as a time to evaluate their health and lifestyle practices. With appropriate nurse counseling, patient information, and an understanding of the role of HRT, menopause can become a time of beginning, rather than an end.
|
|
previous: Introduction next: Aging of Women |
© 2000 American Nurses Association