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  • Title: Women's health and women's work in health services: what statistics tell us.
    Author: Hedman B, Herner E.
    Journal: Women Health; 1988; 13(3-4):9-34. PubMed ID: 3239084.
    Abstract:
    This article draws together statistical information in several broad areas that relate to women's health, women's reproductive activities and women's occupations in Sweden. The statistical analysis reflects the major changes that have occurred in Swedish society and that have had a major impact on the health and well-being, as well as on the social participation rate, of women. Much of the data is drawn from a recent special effort at Statistic Sweden aimed at influencing the classification, collection and presentation of statistical data in all fields in such a way that family, working, education, health and other conditions of women can be more readily and equitably compared with those of men. In addition, social changes have seen the shifting of the responsibility of health care from the unpaid duties of women in the home to health care institutions, where female employees predominate. These trends are also discussed. Statistics from broad areas of health, work, reproduction and demography are compiled here and analyzed for their impact on women's health and wellbeing in Sweden. Women's labor participation rate has risen to 81%, compared to 90% for men. Women still work primarily in municipal daycare, teaching, health services, clerical and retail work. 67% of public sector workers are women. The mean number of children per woman is now 1.6. Swedish women can expect to live 70 years. The infant mortality rate is only 7/1000. They have lower mortality rates than men from circulatory disease, accidents, and violence, but not cancer in the fertile years. Women report more sick-leave. This was interpreted as an indicator that women's lives are more pressured than men's lives, since women bear and care for children, do all domestic and social tasks for the family, as well as work full time. They may be subject to more infectious diseases because of exposure to children. Women report themselves in poor health and attend medical clinics slightly more often than men: this may be a behavioral difference between the sexes, since men's occupational environments are more dangerous. On the other hand, women report to a greater extent that they cannot plan or influence the pace of their work. Incidence of legal abortion remains at about 30,000/year in Sweden since legalization in 1975. Teenage abortions have fallen about 25%. Mammography and screening for cervical cancer are free; mortality from these cancers has fallen dramatically. Generally, women report less feeling of well-being than men in Sweden, probably because of the mean 3 extra hours of domestic work they do compared to men.
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