Understanding women's health through data development and data linkage: implications for research and policy

More sophisticated and complex conceptualizations of women's health have now evolved, grounded in a biopsychosocial model: women are more than an aggregation of cells, body parts, social actions and social statuses.' There is some evidence that the difference in morbidity rates between women and men may be largely explained by nonbiologic factors, including socioeconomic and psychosocial variables. Developing more inclusive models of health requires recognizing and examining the complexities and diversities in women's lives, a vast array of social and cultural identities that define the roles, status and experiences shaping women's health. These survey databases contain detailed information on demographic, socioeconomic and psychosocial variables, in addition to information about health and wellness (Table 2). Detailed descriptions of Canadian surveys and the variables they cover are available elsewhere.5 In contrast to the administrative databases, which may be more pertinent to the analysis of women's access to care, their use of services and the system's response to women's health care needs, survey databases permit the analysis of the social determinants of health and explore the genderrelated aspects of such determinants. However, unless the surveys are designed at the outset to incorporate questions relevant to women's lives, their well-being and health, secondary analyses will not yield useful information. Ruzek SB, Clarke AE, Olesen VL. Social, biomedical and feminist models of women's health. In: Ruzek SB, Olesen VL, Clarke AE, editors. Women's health. Columbus: Ohio State University Press;1997. p. 11-28. Canada Federal/Provincial/Territorial Working Group on Women's Health. Working together for women's health: a framework for the development of policies and programs. Ottawa: Health Canada;1990.