Women’s Health
Healthy People 2030: Examining Progress and Disparities in Women’s and Girls’ Health Leda Gurley* Leda Gurley LaJeana Hawkins
Healthy People is a national initiative to promote health and reduce disease through the setting and tracking of objectives and targets. The fifth and current iteration of the initiative, Healthy People 2030 (HP2030) includes an overarching goal to eliminate health disparities and achieve health equity. Of the 359 HP2030 core objectives, 251 have data on women and girls, and 22 solely track women’s and girls’ health. This analysis examines the progress made toward national targets and assesses disparities for five HP2030 objectives related to the reproductive health and well-being of women and girls.
Progress toward the targets was measured using the percentage of targeted change that was achieved. Disparities were assessed within specified demographic characteristics (race/ethnicity, age, education, and geographic location) and quantified using the highest rate (Rmax), lowest rate (Rmin), and maximal rate ratio (MRR).
Assessment of progress toward national targets shows that two of the five HP2030 objectives have little or no detectable change (cervical cancer screening among females 21-65 years; sexually active females 16-24 years screened for chlamydia), two are getting worse (pregnant women receiving early and adequate prenatal care; maternal deaths), and one is improving (emergency department visits for pelvic inflammatory disease). Evaluation of disparities of objectives with demographic data shows that disparities exist. For example, White, non-Hispanic pregnant women had the highest rate (80.5%) of receiving early and adequate prenatal care among racial/ethnic groups, 70% higher than Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander, non-Hispanic pregnant women who had the lowest rate (47.2%).
Our assessment of progress and disparities shows that progress toward meeting national targets is mixed and that disparities exist. Continuing efforts are needed to address disparities in women’s and girls’ health, and tracking progress may help guide prevention efforts.