Health of Indian Midlife Women-Unmet Needs and Possible Solutions.

Abstract

With increase in the longevity of life, the population of women in midlife and older is increasing. Midlife marks a challenging period of a women's life where hormonal changes and menopausal transition occur and the incidence of non-communicable diseases increases. This period of life experience depends on various factors such as ethnicity, country of residence, literacy and socioeconomic class. Gender itself is a key factor that determines an individual's health. The need for a healthy lifestyle from early on needs to be emphasized as it plays a key role in healthy aging. There is also a need to spread awareness on prevention of NCDs and good post-retirement support. National health programs must include older adults and specialized and personalized care given according to their needs. This will help prevent health deterioration in midlife that reduces functional ability, work productivity and increased healthcare costs, leading to economic loss.