title: Developing a gender-based approach to chronic conditions and women's health: a qualitative investigation of community-dwelling women and service provider perspectives.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Chronic conditions contribute to over 70 % of Australia's total disease burden, and this is set to increase to 80 % by 2020. Women's greater longevity means that they are more likely than men to live with disability and have unique health concerns related to their gender based roles in society. Cultural and social issues can impact on women's health and are important to consider in health services planning and research. In this study, we aimed to identify barriers and facilitators to providing a gender-based approach to chronic conditions and women's health in an eastern metropolitan region of Australia.
  
  
  METHODS
  Focus groups were used to engage both community-dwelling women who had chronic conditions and relevant professional stakeholders in the target area. Recorded proceedings underwent thematic analysis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Five focus groups were conducted with professional stakeholders and women community members in February and March 2014. Resultant themes included: women's disempowerment through interactions with health systems; social and economic constraints and caregiving roles act to exclude women from participating in self-care and society; and empowerment can be achieved through integrated models of care that facilitate voice and enable communication and engagement.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study underscores the importance of including perspectives of sex and gender in health care services planning. Tailoring services to socio-demographic and cultural groups is critical in promoting access to health care services. Unique epidemiological trends, particularly the ageing of women and new migrant groups, require particular attention.
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Health, Centre for Cardiovascular and Chronic Care, Broadway, University of Technology Sydney, Sydney, NSW, 2007, Australia. michelle.digiacomo@uts.edu.au.
authors.forename: Michelle
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: DiGiacomo
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Health, Centre for Cardiovascular and Chronic Care, Broadway, University of Technology Sydney, Sydney, NSW, 2007, Australia. anna.green-1@uts.edu.au.
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Green
authors.affiliation: Illawarra Shoalhaven Local Health District, Women's Health Service, Warrawong, 2502, NSW, Australia. emma.rodrigues@sesiahs.health.nsw.gov.au.
authors.forename: Emma
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Rodrigues
authors.affiliation: Illawarra Shoalhaven Local Health District, Women's Health Service, Warrawong, 2502, NSW, Australia. kathryn.mulligan@sesiahs.health.nsw.gov.au.
authors.forename: Kathryn
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Mulligan
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Health, Centre for Cardiovascular and Chronic Care, Broadway, University of Technology Sydney, Sydney, NSW, 2007, Australia. pdavidson@jhu.edu.|School of Nursing, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA. pdavidson@jhu.edu.
authors.forename: Patricia M
authors.initials: PM
authors.lastname: Davidson
mesh_terms: D001315:Australia; D002908:Chronic Disease / Q000628:therapy*; D005069:Evaluation Studies as Topic; D005260:Female; D017144:Focus Groups; D005783:Gender Identity; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012944:Social Support; D016387:Women's Health