Hormone replacement therapy use in urban older women attending meal sites: associations with sociodemographic and health characteristics and use of preventive services.

OBJECTIVE

To examine sociodemographic, health and preventive health practices associated with hormone replacement therapy (HRT) use in urban community-dwelling older women.

DESIGN

Survey.

SETTING

Community-based meal sites throughout the city of Los Angeles.

PARTICIPANTS

A convenience sample of 705 community-dwelling women older than age 60 who completed questionnaires for the Prevention for Elderly Persons Program.

MEASUREMENTS

Demographic and life style characteristics, functional status, preventive practices, and current and past use of HRT.

RESULTS

Among the 705 women surveyed, 13% reported current use and 17% reported past use of HRT. Current users were more likely to be younger and more likely to report a history of osteoporosis, hysterectomy, and calcium use than never users. White women were more likely to be current users than black women.

CONCLUSIONS

Only a small proportion of the older urban women studied are currently using HRT. In particular, efforts to increase the use of these preventive services need to focus on black women and women who do not have a prior history of osteoporosis.