Marketing Health to Women - US

• The proliferation of media outlets, such as cable and satellite television and the Internet, has made it significantly easier for women to learn about health issues, affecting how they perceive themselves and their bodies.
• Mass culture has an influence on women and their body image. High standards of beauty are imposed on women, and youth and thinness are promoted as critical components of beauty.
• Varying by demographics, women report interest in nutrition, exercise, weight loss, vitamins/supplements, and bone/joint health.
• Women seek guidance on health issues from a number of sources: family members, doctors, friends, pharmacists, or the Internet.
• Women hold opinions about pharmaceuticals, medical treatments, and insurance. Some are more likely to have regular medical checkups. Many women are utilizing alternative health services such as yoga or counseling.
• Age and other demographic factors have an influence on women’s preferences in exercise.

Scope and Themes

What you need to know

Resources used for consumer sections

Abbreviations and terms

Abbreviations

Terms

Executive Summary

America is aging, but striving to stay healthy

Media and popular culture

Health topics of interest to women

Who do women consult for guidance?

Women’s opinions about pharmaceuticals, medical treatments, and insurance

The practitioners and services that women use

Exercise—how does it fit into a woman’s life?

Diet management

Reasons for diet management

Women’s nutritional and shopping behaviors

Future trends

What older women want

Pharmaceuticals, medical and alternative practitioners, and insurance

Retail medicine

Focus on prevention and nutrition

Marketing to the 20%

Market Background

America is aging, but women want to stay young

Figure 1: Female population by age, 2002-12

Women embrace cosmetic enhancements

Women seek strength and health

Women strive to balance work and family

What women aged 50+ think about aging

The disconnect: knowing what’s good for you and doing it

What women are actually practicing

Areas where women can improve

Influential Internet sites and blogs

Women and Body Image

The influence of popular cultural and body image

“Standards” of beauty

Women and eating disorders

Health Topics of Interest to Women

Age makes a difference

Figure 2: Interest in health-related topics, by age, June 2007

Marital status

Figure 3: Interest in health-related topics, by marital status, June 2007

Children in the house

Figure 4: Interest in health-related topics, by number of children in the household, June 2007

Education

Figure 5: Interest in health-related topics, by education, June 2007

Where do Women Go for Guidance?

Reported sources for guidance

Figure 6: Sources for guidance regarding health issues, by age, June 2007

Figure 7: Sources for guidance regarding health issues, by marital status, June 2007

Women’s Opinions about Pharmaceuticals, Medical Treatments, and Insurance

Attitudes about pharmaceuticals

Figure 8: Attitudes about pharmaceuticals, by age, Jan-Oct 2006

Pharmaceutical trends

Figure 9: Trends in attitudes about pharmaceuticals, 2002-06

Insurance coverage

Figure 10: Ownership of life/health insurance, total, Jan-Oct 2006

Types of insurance coverage

Figure 11: Ownership of life/health insurance, by age, Jan-Oct 2006

Figure 12: Ownership of life/health insurance, by race/ethnicity, Jan-Oct 2006

The Practitioners and Services that Women Use

Professional visitations

Figure 13: Practitioners visited at least once a year, by age, June 2007

Figure 14: Practitioners visited at least once a year, by income, June 2007

Other health services

Figure 15: Health services tried in the last year, by age, June 2007

Figure 16: Health services tried in the last year, by education, June 2007

Exercise—How Does it Fit into a Woman’s Life?

Exercise participation

Figure 17: Participation in regular exercise program in the past year, by income, Jan-Oct 2006

Frequency of exercise

Figure 18: Exercise frequency, Jan-Oct 2006

Advertising

Advertisements for women’s health products

Actonel

Figure 19: Advertisement for Actonel

Astrazeneca

Figure 20: Advertisement for Astrazeneca

Bristol-Myers Squibb

Figure 21: Advertisement for Bristol-Myers Squibb

Citracal

Figure 22: Advertisement for Citracal

Clearblue

Figure 23: Advertisement for Clearblue

Estroven

Figure 24: Advertisement for Estroven

Fosamax

Figure 25: Advertisement for Fosamax

Gardasil

Figure 26: Advertisement for Gardasil

Loestrin

Figure 27: Advertisement for Loestrin

Boniva

Figure 28: Advertisement for Boniva

Viactiv

Figure 29: Advertisement for Viactiv

Wyeth know menopause

Figure 30: Advertisement for Wyeth

Diet Management

Aging

Figure 31: Watching/controlling diet, by age, Jan-Oct 2006

Race/ethnicity

Figure 32: Watching/controlling diet, by race and ethnic origin, Jan-Oct 2006

Figure 33: Household income distribution by Hispanic origin of householder, 2005

Trends 2002-06

Figure 34: Trends in watching or controlling diet, 2002-06

Reasons for diet management

Figure 35: Reason for watching diet, by age, Jan-Oct 2006

Women’s Nutritional and Shopping Behavior

Shopping practices

Age

Figure 36: Nutritional and food shopping habits, by age, June 2007

Income

Figure 37: Nutritional and food shopping habits, by income, June 2007

Juggling work and family

Energy and diet snacks and bars

Figure 38: Consumption of energy/diet snacks and bars, Jan-Oct 2006

Brands of snack bars

Figure 39: Brand of energy/diet snacks and bars consumed, by age, Jan-Oct 2006

Quantity

Figure 40: Amount of energy/diet snacks and bars consumed in last 30 days, Jan-Oct 2006

Vitamins and minerals

More as they age

Figure 41: Vitamin consumption, by age, Jan-Oct 2006

Families

Figure 42: Vitamin consumption, by cohort, Jan-Oct 2006

Frequency of vitamin/supplements taken

Figure 43: Frequency of vitamin consumption, Jan-Oct 2006

Future Trends

Older women will make up more of the female population

Pharmaceuticals, medical and alternative practitioners, and insurance

Retail medicine

Focus on prevention and nutrition

Exercise

Medical research

Ethnicity and race

Misuse of medicine

Concepts of beauty and body image

Images of women on television

Strong in mind and community as well

Appendix: Trade Organizations

Appendix: Simmons Cohorts

Figure 44: Married couples cohorts

Figure 45: Single women cohorts

Figure 46: Single men cohorts