Women live an average of seven years longer than men. Life expectancy is anticipated to continue to increase into the next century, with higher gains for women than for men. In 1998, there were 20.3 million women over age 65 and 14.3 million men. By the year 2030, the proportion of Americans over age 65 is expected to double, and the number of Americans over age 85 will triple. Projections indicate that 7 in 10 baby-boom wives will outlive their husbands, usually by 15 to 20 years.
Due to their greater longevity, women run a greater risk than men of suffering from the chronic disorders and disabilities that increase with age such as cancer, obesity, arthritis, osteoporosis, and heart disease.
Older women are also more likely to live in poverty than are older men. Nearly three-fourths of the nation¿s elderly poor are women. Moreover, women spend more of their disposable income - as much as 25 percent - on out-of-pocket health care expenses than do men. Two-thirds of older women do not use preventive screening services such as mammography because of the cost of these screenings or because they believe they do not need these services or because their physician does not recommend these screenings to them.
Promising trends are unfolding for the emerging population of older women. Disability rates are falling dramatically, and women are attaining greater education and economic independence. If women actively engage in healthy behaviors, the twenty-first century will see them enjoy lives that are not only longer, but indeed healthier.
