Women on a Journey
to Put Her Health First
Women are powerful—we encourage one another in our own families, across generations and among our group of friends. This is especially important when it comes to women’s health.
Her Health First
‘Her Health First’ is an educational campaign that will shed light on women’s health issues – specifically those that are among the most pressing today including bone health, heart health and cancer. Learn about some surprising findings from our survey of women on their awareness of health issues and barriers to action; get health information and tools to prioritize your health; and then share what you’ve learned with women in your life so that each woman feels empowered to put her health first, and can encourage other women to do the same.
Take the
Health First
challenge
This campaign is encouraging women to participate in a challenge by trying a new physical activity or sport to prioritize their health and encourage others to join in to do the same.
Staying Active
Staying active and healthy is key to staying well – you can’t care for others if you don’t care for yourself first.
A balanced diet
A balanced diet, exercise, drinking in moderation and not smoking are part of this equation, but so is trying something new.
Health First
You’re invited to take the ‘Health First Challenge’ and try a new activity that you share with friends or family. Use this opportunity as an icebreaker to talk about important health topics.
Bone health
Even though you’re feeling great on the outside, your bones
could be telling a different story on the inside.
Worldwide, osteoporosis causes more than 8.9 million fractures every year, equivalent to a fracture every 3 seconds.
Globally, about four in five (around 80%) of those individuals who break a bone are neither identified nor treated for osteoporosis that was responsible for the fracture.
If it leads to a hip fracture, osteoporosis can jeopardize your ability to do the things you love and get around on your own.
Bone Health Survey Results
A recent survey in Canada revealed some unexpected findings about how women view bone health and the challenges that they face:
Overall, women know about the signs of osteoporosis
Many of the women knew that a bone that breaks that easily (84%) and loss of height over time (63%) are signs of deteriorating bone health, but fewer women (42%) were aware that back pain could also be a symptom.
When it comes to screening tools there is a gap between awareness and action
More than three in four women (78%) said that bone density scans are important or very important in understanding your bone health; but 43% of survey respondents had never had one.
Physicians are trusted but do not consistently raise important women’s health topics
Ninety percent of women surveyed said they see their doctor or healthcare provider as a trustworthy source of information. However, nearly one in three (30%) women who had not spoken to their doctor about bone health had not done so because it was not proactively raised by their physician.
“We know that women today juggle many roles and responsibilities and oftentimes, overlook their own health. Amgen’s Her Health First campaign reminds women to prioritize and safeguard their health and well-being, before doing other things. Through education, the campaign also assists women to be in a position of power to make informed decisions about their health.” Anne Marie Wright, Co-Founder of YouAreUNLTD, campaign partner
Heart Health
Cardiovascular diseases are the leading cause of death globally. In 2019, it was estimated that almost 18 million people died from cardiovascular diseases.
Of those estimated 18 million cardiovascular disease deaths, 85% were due to heart attacks and strokes.
The good news is – most cardiovascular disease can be prevented with lifestyle and behavioral changes.
Heart Health Survey Results
A recent survey in Canada revealed some unexpected findings about how women view heart health and the challenges that they face:
Heart health conditions are the leading diagnosed conditions among Canadian women surveyed across age groups 45 and older.
Even though most women in Canada have not had a cardiac event, just over one in three (45%) identified some level of concern about heart disease, particularly among those 45+.
Despite it being one of the leading health concerns among surveyed women, very few are talking to their doctors about it.
Some women don’t talk to their doctors about cardiovascular disease because it’s not something they are concerned about (30%) or they don’t know enough about it to have a conversation (11%).
Women use their social circle to talk about their general health and well-being.
Women ages 40 years or older typically have social circles which include those who have experienced heart disease or suffered a cardiac event. More often than not (71% of the time), women are talking about health with those in their social circle.
Cancer Care
Cancer is the second leading cause of death globally; about one in six deaths is due to cancer.
Breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer among women in 140 of the 184 countries worldwide; cervical cancer is the most common in 39 countries.
About one third of deaths from cancer are due to high body mass index (BMI), low fruit and vegetable intake, lack of physical activity, and tobacco and alcohol use.
Cancer Care Survey Results
A recent survey in Canada revealed some unexpected findings about how women view cancer care and the challenges that they face:
When it comes to cancer, the women interviewed were concerned about the potential impact of cancer treatment and the impact of the diagnosis on their loved ones.
About three in four women who do not have cancer said they worried about the side effects of cancer treatment (79%), the impact on their loved ones (79%) and about the loss of their lifestyle if they are diagnosed (75%).
Cancer falls to the bottom of health-related issues women talk to their doctor about.
The Canadian Cancer society estimates that nearly one in two Canadians are expected to develop cancer during their lifetime. In 2016, cancer was the leading cause of death among Canadians. Yet, in the survey, few women (4%) reported that they discuss cancer with their healthcare provider.
There are also troubling signs about screenings among older women.
One in three women over 65 (33%) reported they have never been offered a cancer screening. When it comes to cervical cancer screening in younger women however (30-44), three in four women reported that they have been screened.
Women are not talking to each other about cancer but say that conversations with friends would promote behavior changes about screening. Most women (60%) across all age groups do not discuss cancer with family/friends. However, if a family or friend talked to them about getting screened for cancer, most (83%) said it would increase their likelihood of getting a cancer screening, signaling a concerning gap.
