Promoting wellness in women across the life span.
For the purposes of this article, wellness is defined as an individual's subjective experience of overall life satisfaction in relation to physical, mental, emotional, spiritual, social, economic, occupational, and environmental dimensions. Women's wellness focuses on those aspects of well-being that pertain disproportionately, or solely, to women. Wellness includes but is not limited to physical, emotional and social aspects and disruptions that alter a woman's quality of life, such as reproductive and hormonal issues, bone health, gastrointestinal stress, and urinary incontinence. This article discusses women's wellness through the life span, from preconception through death, and considers the implications of these issues for the nursing profession.
Zender
Robynn
R
Program in Nursing Science, College of Health Sciences, University of California, Irvine, CA 92697, USA. rzender@uci.edu
Olshansky
Ellen
E
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002648:Child; D002908:Chronic Disease / Q000517:prevention & control; D006233:Persons with Disabilities / Q000534:rehabilitation; D005260:Female; D006293:Health Promotion / Q000458:organization & administration*; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D043183:Irritable Bowel Syndrome / Q000517:prevention & control; D008016:Life Change Events; D008593:Menopause; D008875:Middle Aged; D024802:Nurse's Role; D015663:Osteoporosis, Postmenopausal / Q000517:prevention & control; D016742:Preconception Care; D011293:Premenstrual Syndrome / Q000517:prevention & control; D011788:Quality of Life; D012893:Sleep Wake Disorders / Q000517:prevention & control; D013727:Terminal Care; D014808:Vitamin D Deficiency / Q000517:prevention & control; D016387:Women's Health