Belgium Women Health Information
Reported, January 12, 2012
Belgium counts over 10 million citizens, with the following age structure:
0-14 years: 16.7% (male 883,254/female 846,099)
15-64 years: 65.9% (male 3,450,879/female 3,389,565)
65 years and older: 17.4% (male 746,569/female 1,062,701) (2006)
The population growth is 0.13%, the birth rate is 10.38 births/1,000 population, and the death rate is 10.27/1,000 population. The gender ratio is:
At birth: 1.04 male(s)/female
Under 15 years: 1.04 males/female
15-64 years: 1.02 males/female
65 years and over: 0.7 males/female
Total population: 0.96 males/female (2006)
The infant mortality rate is:
Total: 4.62 deaths/1,000 live births
Male: 5.2 deaths/1,000 live births
Female 4.01 deaths/1,000 live births (2006)
The life expectancy at birth is:
Male: 75.59 years
Female: 82.09 years (2006)
The total fertility rate is 1.64 children born/woman (2006)
After the Netherlands, Belgium was the second European country to legalise euthanasia in 2002. In the first year two hundred people died in this manner. Since then rates have steadily risen. In 2005 deaths reported as such reached 360. …more
Teenage pregnancy rates are on the rise. In 2003 there was a 4% increase in teenage pregnancy rates, as compared to 2002. It was also found that between a quarter and a third of pregnant teenage girls had planned their pregnancy. Jeunesse et Sexualité (Youth and Sexuality), a non-profit organisation, noted that many of the girls becoming pregnant have difficulties in school or at home and view their pregnancy as a part of growing up or as a way to start a new life for themselves. Despite the rise in teenage pregnancies, abortion rates have not changed.
In Belgium (2004), 75% of the sexual active women between 15 and 49 years old had used methods of contraception in the 12 months previous to the investigation. The percentage of sexually active women who used methods of contraception decreases steadily with the age. Methods are used by 84% for girls of 15-19, and it decreases steadily to 63% for women between 45 and 49 years. The difference between the two age groups (the youngest and the oldest) is significant.
Of the women who used contraceptive methods, 60% chose the pill, 13% an intra uterine device, 8% a barrier method (a diaphragm, a spermicidal substance, a condom) and 12% sterilisation. Other, less frequent, methods were patch or vaginal ring (2.1%), a stick or a puncture pill (0.8%), the morning after pill (0.2%) or another method (periodic abstention, withdrawal) (1.9%).
Birth control is used across Belgium by sexually active women. Three quarters of women use a method to avoid an undesirable pregnancy. The average age of the first pregnancy is 28 years (in the 1970s it was 24 years). The increase in the average age of the first pregnancy is an indication of the tendency in women (and men), to concentrate on the development of a professional career before they start thinking about having children. In this respect it is not surprising that 4 out of 5 women before the age of 30 say that they use contraception. Between 30-34 years, the percentage decreases (to 72%). The use of contraceptives therefore serves to delay pregnancy. Nevertheless it is alarming that 16% of the young, but sexually active girls, indicate that they dont use a method to avoid a (unwanted?) pregnancy.
Breast Cancer
Breast cancer is the most prevalent oncologic disease for Belgian women. Oncological diseases, and especially breast and cervical cancer, are considered a major priority of the national health policy. There are many legislative and regulative documents dealing with the management of these diseases. Many health professionals are involved in the prevention, early detection, treatment and rehabilitation after breast cancer. One out of ten women in Belgium gets the disease before they reach the age of 75. One out of three women does not survive the illness. For this reason, in Flanders, breast cancer screening is organised for women between 50 and 69 years. Every two years they are invited for a free mammography. The age group 50-69 was selected because it appeared that a generalised screening does reduce mortality caused by breast cancer. There has not been sufficient research into the effect of breast cancer outside these age limits.
Weight disorders
In Belgium, the Body Mass index (BMI) is used as an indicator. Over the age of 18, the BMI is a very stable measure. The average value for the Body Mass index for persons of 18 years or older in Belgium is 25.1 – a value which exceeds the under score for overweight (25). On average the inhabitants of Belgium are too fat. This average is significantly higher for men (25.6) than for women (24.7).
Excess weight an analysis. The discussion of obesity distinguishes between overweight persons (BMI higher than 25) and obese persons (BMI higher than 30). Forty four per cent of the adult population (18 and over) are overweight. This proportion is much larger for men (51%) than for women (38%).
Underweight an analysis. Approximately 10% of the Belgian population has low weight. Six per cent of these cases are underweight, while 3% of the Belgian population has extreme underweight. After correction for age, it can be determined that the female population especially has problems with (extreme) underweight; 14% in comparison with the male population (5%). Underweight is a bigger problem in the younger age groups, for both men and women, than in other age groups.
Lack of exercise, in combination with drastic changes in eating patterns have resulted in what we can call an epidemic of obesity. Excess weight impacts on blood pressure, etc. in the short term, but the long term impact is much greater. A huge part of the population in Belgium does not recognise weight and eating disorders as a real threat. It is not easy therefore for policy makers to address prevention.
Eating disorders
Eating disorders occur mainly in women: 90-95% of the anorexia nervosa patients are women. Epidemiological studies in Belgium have shown that eating disorders have increased over the last years.
Anorexia nervosa
Predominantly adolescent girls and women between 15-24 years, with a peak around 18 years, suffer from anorexia nervosa (accessed at: …more, 06 October 2006).
Bulimia nervosa
It is accepted that 5 out of 100 women in Belgium have bulimia, but there is some doubt about this figure. Among other factors, this relates to the fact that researchers do not always use the same criteria, and frequently set limits at 15-25 years. Older women are frequently excluded because bulimia is considered, just like anorexia nervosa, especially as an adolescent girls illness. There are no official figures for Flanders, but the number is thought to be approximately 15,000 women. About 1000 new patients recover annually. Bulimia is 3 – 5 times more apparent in urban areas than in rural areas (Johan Vanderlinden, UZ health letter 120, 1-9-2001).
In addition to anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa, more and more women and men are suffering from binge eating disorder and Anorexia Athletica disorder.
Credits: European Institute of Women Health
More Information:http://old.eurohealth.ie/countryreport/belgium.html