LAUSR

BACKGROUND Cardiovascular diseases are the main cause of mortality for women worldwide, yet their impact is frequently underestimated. To raise awareness for preventative lifestyle measures other contacts with the healthcare system should be exploited. We analyzed access patterns to other healthcare specialists and population screening measures to identify options for opportunistic counseling on cardiovascular risk. MATERIALS AND METHODS We enrolled 1062 randomly selected German urban women aged 25-74 years in 2012-2013, divided into 5 age bands. Women were asked about sociodemographic characteristics, clinical and gynecological history, physician attendance patterns, screening behavior and primary sources of health and preventative information, and clinical examination attendance. RESULTS Obstetrician/gynecologists (OBGYN) were the most frequently consulted physicians within the last 12 months (75.3%), more than general practitioners (GP; 74%). Attendance rates to OBGYNs were not affected by education or income, solely a body mass index (BMI) >30 associated with significantly reduced rates of attendance (OR = 0.4, CI 95% = 0.17-0.78, p = 0.009). Women with low to medium Framingham risk scores were more likely to attend an OBGYN than a GP if they attended only one specialist. Attendance of population screening measures is limited (<60% for all offers) and hence unsuitable for systematic cardiovascular counseling. CONCLUSION OBGYN represent a very popular and equitable healthcare contact for women of all ages and this could be exploited for cardiovascular screening. Furthermore, the strikingly different sources of health information reported highlight a need for improved health communication and differentiation of messages.