Even though slightly over half of the U.S. population is female, medical research historically has neglected the health needs of women. However, over the past two decades, there have been major changes in government support of women's health research--in policies, regulations, and the organization of research efforts. To assess the impact of these changes, Congress directed the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to ask the IOM to examine what has been learned from that research and how well it has been put into practice as well as communicated to both providers and women.

Women's Health Research finds that women's health research has contributed to significant progress over the past 20 years in lessening the burden of disease and reducing deaths from some conditions, while other conditions have seen only moderate change or even little or no change. Gaps remain, both in research areas and in the application of results to benefit women in general and across multiple population groups. Given the many and significant roles women play in our society, maintaining support for women's health research and enhancing its impact are not only in the interest of women, they are in the interest of us all.

Contents

• THE NATIONAL ACADEMIES
• COMMITTEE ON WOMEN’S HEALTH RESEARCH
• Reviewers
• Preface
• Summary
• 1. Introduction
  • BACKGROUND
  • CHARGE TO THE COMMITTEE
  • THE COMMITTEE’S APPROACH TO ITS CHARGE
  • ORGANIZATION OF THIS REPORT
  • REFERENCES
• 2. Research on Determinants of Women’s Health
  • BEHAVIORAL FACTORS
  • SOCIAL AND COMMUNITY FACTORS
  • SOCIETAL FACTORS
  • CONCLUSIONS
  • REFERENCES
• 3. Research on Conditions with Particular Relevance to Women
  • CONDITIONS ON WHICH RESEARCH HAS CONTRIBUTED TO MAJOR PROGRESS
  • CONDITIONS ON WHICH RESEARCH HAS CONTRIBUTED TO SOME PROGRESS
  • HIV/AIDS
  • CONDITIONS ON WHICH LITTLE PROGRESS HAS BEEN MADE
  • CONCLUSIONS
  • REFERENCES
• 4. Methodologic Issues in Women’s Health Research
  • STUDY DESIGN
  • SUBJECT SAMPLING
  • OUTCOME MEASURES
  • ANALYSIS
  • METHODOLOGIC LESSONS FROM THE WOMEN’S HEALTH INITIATIVE
  • SUMMARY
  • CONCLUSIONS
  • RECOMMENDATIONS
  • REFERENCES
• 5. Transforming Discovery to Impact: Translation and Communication of Findings of Women’s Health Research
  • TRANSLATION OF FINDINGS INTO PRACTICE
  • COMMUNICATION
  • CASE STUDIES IN TRANSLATION AND COMMUNICATION
  • CONCLUSIONS
  • RECOMMENDATIONS
  • REFERENCES
• 6. Synthesis, Findings, and Recommendations
  • IS WOMEN’S HEALTH RESEARCH STUDYING THE MOST APPROPRIATE AND RELEVANT DETERMINANTS OF HEALTH?
  • IS WOMEN’S HEALTH RESEARCH FOCUSED ON THE MOST APPROPRIATE AND RELEVANT DISEASES, DISORDERS, CONDITIONS, OUTCOMES, AND END POINTS?
  • IS WOMEN’S HEALTH RESEARCH STUDYING THE MOST RELEVANT GROUPS OF WOMEN?
  • ARE THE MOST APPROPRIATE RESEARCH METHODS BEING USED TO STUDY WOMEN’S HEALTH?
  • ARE THE RESEARCH FINDINGS BEING TRANSLATED IN A WAY THAT AFFECTS PRACTICE?
  • ARE THE RESEARCH FINDINGS BEING COMMUNICATED EFFECTIVELY TO WOMEN?
  • GAPS IN WOMEN’S HEALTH RESEARCH
  • COMMITTEE’S KEY FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS
  • REFERENCES
• APPENDIX A Agendas for Public Meetings
• APPENDIX B Mortality Statistics
• APPENDIX C Selected Studies of Women’s Health

This study was supported by Contract HHSP23320042509XI, TO# HHSP2332080003T, between the National Academy of Sciences and the Department of Health and Human Services. Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the view of the organizations or agencies that provided support for this project.

Suggested citation:

IOM (Institute of Medicine). 2010. Women’s Health Research: Progress, Pitfalls, and Promise. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.

NOTICE: The project that is the subject of this report was approved by the Governing Board of the National Research Council, whose members are drawn from the councils of the National Academy of Sciences, the National Academy of Engineering, and the Institute of Medicine. The members of the committee responsible for the report were chosen for their special competences and with regard for appropriate balance.