title: Unhealthy habits persist: The ongoing presence of modifiable risk factors for disease in women.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Vascular disease remains a leading cause of death. There are several vascular risk factors identified that can mitigate development of disease in ageing. We examine reported rates of modifiable risk factors in women responding to an online health questionnaire advertised by popular media.
  
  
  METHODS
  A sample of 26 620 women aged over 18 was examined in 2015 with a cross-sectional health questionnaire. The questionnaire included self-reported health, mood, lifestyle and vascular risk factors.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There remains high rates of modifiable risk factors present in women. The vast majority of women (80%) reported not eating enough fruit and vegetables. Compared to the guidelines for health, the majority did not perform enough weekly physical activity (70%) and more than half the participants were overweight (54%). Sufficient fruit, vegetables, fish, legumes and physical activity were reported in less than 30% of women!
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Women continue to report low rates of physical activity, fruit and vegetable intake and higher BMI than recommended for good health, despite worldwide health promotion activities aimed at changing these lifestyle factors. Programs to support healthy living need to be reviewed and revised to reduce the burden of vascular disease and dementia in women. Previous guidelines are not having the important impact they should, particularly in women.
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Medicine Dentistry and Health Sciences, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia.|Institute for Health and Ageing, Australian Catholic University, Melbourne, Australia.
authors.forename: Cassandra
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-3698-2590
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Szoeke
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Medicine Dentistry and Health Sciences, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia.
authors.forename: Christa
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Dang
authors.affiliation: Department of Mathematics and Statistics, University of Mons, Mons, Belgium.
authors.forename: Philippe
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Lehert
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Medicine Dentistry and Health Sciences, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia.
authors.forename: Martha
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hickey
authors.affiliation: School of Allied Health, La Trobe University, Melbourne, Australia.
authors.forename: Meg E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Morris
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Medicine Dentistry and Health Sciences, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia.
authors.forename: Lorraine
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Dennerstein
authors.affiliation: Melbourne Health, Melbourne, Australia.
authors.forename: Stephen
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Campbell
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000517:prevention & control*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004032:Diet; D005247:Feeding Behavior; D005260:Female; D005638:Fruit; D006184:Habits; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D008019:Life Style; D008875:Middle Aged; D012307:Risk Factors; D040242:Risk Reduction Behavior; D057566:Self Report; D014675:Vegetables; D055815:Young Adult