Health care utilization among young Australian women with severe tiredness: Results from the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women's Health (ALSWH)

ABSTRACT

In this article, we explore the use of health services and self-prescribed treatments among 8088 young Australian women with severe tiredness. Data were obtained from the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women's Health. The prevalence of severe tiredness was 49.2%. The frequency of visits to healthcare practitioners was greater among women who sought help for their severe tiredness, compared to women who did not seek help for their severe tiredness or who did not report severe tiredness. Given the impact of this health problem on Australian women, we call for further research on the optimal treatment for severe tiredness.

Acknowledgments

The research on which this paper is based was conducted as part of the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women's Health (ALSWH), The University of Newcastle and The University of Queensland. The authors are grateful to the women who have participated in the ALSWH.

Funding

ALSWH is funded by the Australian Government Department of Health and Ageing (DOHA).