This Article  • References  • Full text PDF  • Send to a friend  • Save in My Folder  • Save to citation manager  • Permissions  Citing Articles  • Citation map  • Citing articles on HighWire  • Citing articles on Web of Science (71)  • Contact me when this article is cited  Related Content  • Similar articles in this journal  Social Bookmarking   What's this?

A Survey of Older Women's Attitudes

Loran M. Salamone, PhD; Alice R. Pressman, MS; Dana G. Seeley, PhD; Jane A. Cauley, DrPH

Arch Intern Med. 1996;156(12):1293-1297.

Abstract
Objectives
To understand the low prevalence of estrogen use among older women. To examine the reasons for the use and nonuse of estrogen replacement therapy.

Subjects and Methods
Nonblack women (n=7667), aged 65 years or older, who participated in the Multicenter Study of Osteoporotic Fractures completed an estrogen questionnaire.

Results
Of the subjects, 1335 (17.4%) were currently using oral estrogens, 2084 (27.2%) were past users, and 4248 (55.4%) had never used oral estrogen therapy. The self-reported primary reasons for current users to have initiated therapy included hysterectomy (43.5%), menopausal symptoms (39.3%), prescribed by a physician (38.7%), or prevention or treatment of osteoporosis (33.6%). Of the 2084 former estrogen users (27.2%), the main reasons for starting therapy included prescribed by a physician (44.7%), menopausal symptoms (49.2%), and hysterectomy (28.5%). Approximately 30% of past estrogen users reported the primary reason for discontinuing therapy as "feeling that they didn't need it," whereas 16.4% reported undesirable side effects with bleeding as the most common (45.0%). The main reason women never started estrogen therapy (55.4%) was they feared that the medication was harmful (38.1%) or they felt they did not need it (29.5%).

Conclusions
We conclude that older women in the United States remain skeptical about long-term estrogen use despite its potential for protection against 2 major chronic diseases, osteoporosis and cardiovascular disease. Greater understanding about the barriers to estrogen replacement therapy and improved knowledge of its risks and benefits may reduce the skepticism surrounding estrogen replacement therapy among older women.

(Arch Intern Med. 1996;156:1293-1297)

Author Affiliations
From the Graduate School of Public Health, Department of Epidemiology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pa (Drs Salamone and Cauley), and University of California at San Francisco (Ms Pressman and Dr Seeley).

CiteULike    Connotea    Del.icio.us    Digg    Reddit    Technorati    Twitter     What's this?

THIS ARTICLE HAS BEEN CITED BY OTHER ARTICLES

Older Women with Fractures: Patients Falling Through the Cracks of Guideline-Recommended Osteoporosis Screening and Treatment
Feldstein et al.
JBJS 2003;85:2294-2302.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

The Decision to Take Hormone Replacement Therapy among Women with Disabilities
Becker et al.
West J Nurs Res 2002;24:264-281.
ABSTRACT  

Sex Steroids and Bone
Manolagas et al.
Recent Prog Horm Res 2002;57:385-409.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Prevention of Bone Loss with Tibolone in Postmenopausal Women: Results of Two Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled, Dose-Finding Studies
Gallagher et al.
J. Clin. Endocrinol. Metab. 2001;86:4717-4726.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Usual Dietary Isoflavone Intake Is Associated with Cardiovascular Disease Risk Factors in Postmenopausal Women
Goodman-Gruen and Kritz-Silverstein
J. Nutr. 2001;131:1202-1206.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

The Effect of Low Dose Micronized 17{beta}-Estradiol on Bone Turnover, Sex Hormone Levels, and Side Effects in Older Women: A Randomized, Double Blind, Placebo-Controlled Study
Prestwood et al.
J. Clin. Endocrinol. Metab. 2000;85:4462-4469.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

The Heart and Estrogen/Progestin Replacement Study Revisited: Hormone Replacement Therapy Produced Net Harm, Consistent With the Observational Data
Blakely
Arch Intern Med 2000;160:2897-2900.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Beliefs about Breast Cancer Risk and Use of Postmenopausal Hormone Replacement Therapy
Armstrong et al.
Med Decis Making 2000;20:308-313.
ABSTRACT  

Identification of Estrogen Receptor {beta}2, A Functional Variant of Estrogen Receptor {beta} Expressed in Normal Rat Tissues
Petersen et al.
Endocrinology 1998;139:1082-1092.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Age-Related Response to Interferon Alfa Treatment in Women vs Men With Chronic Hepatitis C Virus Infection
Hayashi et al.
Arch Intern Med 1998;158:177-181.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Tissue-Specific Estrogens -- The Promise for the Future
Fuleihan
NEJM 1997;337:1686-1687.
FULL TEXT  

Facilitating Patient-Specific Decisions Regarding Hormone Replacement Therapy-Reply
Col et al.
JAMA 1997;278:476-476.
ABSTRACT  

Use of Postmenopausal Hormone Replacement Therapy by African American Women: The Importance of Physician Discussion
McNagny and Jacobson
Arch Intern Med 1997;157:1337-1342.
ABSTRACT  

Family Medicine
Bowman and Nicklin
JAMA 1997;277:1857-1858.
 

Patient-Specific Decisions About Hormone Replacement Therapy in Postmenopausal Women
Col et al.
JAMA 1997;277:1140-1147.
ABSTRACT  

Bone Mineral Density and Risk of Breast Cancer in Older Women: The Study of Osteoporotic Fractures
Cauley et al.
JAMA 1996;276:1404-1408.
ABSTRACT  

WHY OLDER WOMEN STOP ERT
JWatch General 1996;1996:3-3.
FULL TEXT