In this Section
NIH Priorities for Women’s Health Research
The NIH research priorities for 2012 identify opportunities to stimulate women’s health and sex differences research; to advance biomedical research careers for women; and to advance women and men who wish to pursue women’s health research. The research priorities are organized by overarching themes, strategic goals, and special areas of emphasis that cut across disciplines and consider prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of diseases that may differentially affect women and men and enhance the health and quality of their lives.
The research priorities for women’s health and sex differences research are guided by the goals and objectives outlined in Moving Into the Future With New Dimensions and Strategies: A Vision for 2020 for Women’s Health Research, published in September 2010 and released at the scientific symposium held to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the ORWH.
Overarching Themes. Four overarching themes are important considerations for women’s health research:
- Lifespan
- Sex/Gender Differences
- Health Disparities/Differences and Diversity
- Interdisciplinary Research
- Lifespan: The health of girls and women is affected by developmental, physiological, and psychological influences throughout their their lives starting in the preuterine environment and continuing through infancy, childhood and adolescence, menarche, reproduction, the menopausal transition, postmenopausal years, and the elderly and frail elderly stages. Many women’s lives and health status are also influenced by work inside and outside the home, care-giving such as childcare and elder care responsibilities, reproductive status, marital status, and chronic illness. Each of these factors may influence health, disease, lifestyle and treatment choices, and response to therapy. Researchers should consider these factors in designing studies related to women’s health.
- Sex/Gender Differences: Women and men are characterized by both sex and gender, as highlighted in the Institute of Medicine report, entitled Exploring the Biological Contributions to Human Health: Does Sex Matter?1 In this context, the term sex refers to being male or female according to reproductive organs and biologic functions assigned by chromosomal complement. Factors that contribute to biological sex differences include chromosomes, reproduction, and hormones. Gender refers to socially defined and derived expectations and roles rooted in biology and shaped by the environment and experience. Gender and sex are important considerations in many areas of research, including basic biological, psychological, social, and behavioral studies. Consideration of these variables is critical to the accurate interpretation and validation of research findings that affect the various aspects of women’s health. These variables may determine how health or disease processes may differ among women, or between men and women.
- Health Disparities/Differences and Diversity: Women are disproportionately affected by some conditions and diseases in terms of incidence, diagnosis, course, and response to treatment. Some populations of women may be at higher risk for adverse disease outcomes because of factors such as: biology, genes, culture, education, effects of poverty, access to care, quality of care, and access to opportunities for inclusion as research subjects in clinical trials and studies. Thus, research studies should consider population-specific characteristics such as cultural diversity, environmental exposures, race/ethnicity, immigrant status, rural or inner city (urban) residency status, effects of poverty or low socioeconomic status, sexual orientation, and physical or mental disabilities.
- Interdisciplinary Research: With increasing understanding of the inter-relatedness and complexity of disease, the nature of scientific investigation is shifting to an interdisciplinary collaborative approach. Advances in women’s health can be better achieved by promoting partnerships across disciplines. Interdisciplinary approaches can integrate knowledge from multiple specialties and disciplines, thus increasing the opportunities for prevention, enhancing the likelihood of defining underlying pathologic processes, and discovering more effective treatments. Collaborations among researchers in academia, private industry, foundations, and Federal settings can provide access to the latest scientific technologies and expertise for women’s health research. These partnerships can foster community-engaged research that offers the potential for improving the health of girls and women and boys and men.
Strategic Goals: Efforts to implement the new strategic plan are underway at NIH. These efforts are based on the six strategic goals identified by a two-year strategic planning process that involved a number of stakeholders nationwide. NIH is working to advance women’s health and sex differences research based on these strategic goals:
1: Increase sex differences research in basic science studies.
2: Incorporate findings of sex/gender differences in the design and application of new technologies, medical devices, and therapeutic drugs.
3: Actualize personalized prevention, diagnostics, and therapeutics for girls and women.
4: Create strategic alliances and partnerships to maximize the domestic and global impact of women’s health research.
5: Develop and implement new communication and social networking technologies to increase understanding and appreciation of women’s health and wellness research.
6: Employ innovative strategies to build a well-trained, diverse, and vigorous health research workforce.
These goals represent short- and long-term actionable opportunities.
Special Areas of Emphasis: The 2012 NIH priorities include several special areas of interest:
- Advancing sex differences research on health and disease, especially from the molecular level to clinical applications, including diagnosis, treatment and prevention
- Emerging scientific fields, technologies, and approaches that can provide unique opportunities to maximize women’s health and sex differences research
- Fostering strategic partnerships and alliances to improve public health outreach and the dissemination of health information to improve women’s health and that of their families and communities
The 2012 NIH research priorities present a framework of research areas important to women’s health and sex differences research and are not an exhaustive scientific list of potential areas of study. Other innovative research interests are encouraged.
