Poster Presentation
Friday, 21 July 2006
10:00 AM - 10:30 AM
Friday, 21 July 2006
3:00 PM - 3:30 PM
This presentation is part of : Poster Presentations III
Accessing Untapped Research on Women's Health
Jonathon Erlen, PhD1, Judith A. Erlen, RN, PhD, FAAN2, and Ammon S. Ripple, MLS1. (1) Health Sciences Library System, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA, (2) Health Promotion and Development, University of Pittsburgh School of Nursing, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
Learning Objective #1: identify the process for accessing this unique database of Dissertation Abstracts that target women's health
Learning Objective #2: describe the scope of the dissertations that are included in this unique database of Dissertation Abstracts focused on women's health
Databases provide a starting point for undertaking scholarly work in a particular subject area. However, until recently there was no complete subject access to a database for dissertations making it difficult for researchers to locate these studies. Women’s health, a growing focal area for multi-disciplinary research, recognizes that women’s health needs are distinctly different and are not solely the result of gender differences. Numerous scholars have written dissertations on women’s health, but until 2001 no database provided comprehensive subject access to these studies. Therefore, the purpose of this poster is to describe the scope of dissertations harvested from Dissertation Abstracts since 2001 on health issues experienced by women worldwide. This representative sample of dissertations centered on women’s health, compiled since 2001, includes studies conducted in the United States, Canada, the Far East, Africa, Latin America, and Western Europe. Most dissertations were completed by women and came from diverse academic disciplines including nursing, psychology, social work, women’s studies, anthropology, history, and public health. Studies focus on specialized populations of Asians, African-Americans, Native Americans, and Hispanics, as well as vulnerable populations such as lesbians, the homeless, and the uninsured. The breadth of topics ranges from primary prevention/screening to the management of chronic disorders, rape and intimate partner violence, reproductive health issues, breast cancer, mental health issues such as depression and bulimia, and self-care practices. This unique database provides an efficient means of accessing the subject content of Dissertation Abstracts and one basis for building the science related to global women’s health issues. Women’s health as a discipline is increasing in importance. As research expands in women’s health, the unique causes and consequences of women’s health issues become better understood and provide the foundation for improved quality of care.

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See more of The 17th International Nursing Research Congress Focusing on Evidence-Based Practice (19-22 July 2006)