Center for Women´s Health and Wellness
Current Research: Pathways to health in later life: a cohort study of Woman´s College alumnae
"I have an overall feeling about people who went to Woman's College... It's almost like you can really tell them [apart from others] when you are in a group because they do have a certain independence even though they are married. It's something that we learned, but no one taught us, because the women here who taught were like that... it was a woman's school so we just sort of got this confidence. No one had to tell us to be a woman."
- Quote from WC Alumna focus group part
The purpose of this study is to investigate factors that influence the health and wellness of women as they age. The sample for this study is women alumnae of Woman´s College (WC), 1917-1963 (now UNCG).
In many ways this population of women is unique:
- They attended college when most women in North Carolina did not.
- They attended the U.S.´s first publicly supported college for women only.
- They were trained by well-educated, strong women faculty to be leaders, and to have, in the words of one alumna, certain independence".
As a result, they were well educated women making choices about work, family and community before the rise of the second wave of the American feminist movement. Not surprisingly, the different choices this group made about how to live their lives reflects a diverse set of values, priorities and options. For these reasons, the graduates of Woman´s College provides a unique opportunity to learn more about the different pathways women take and how these pathways affect women´s health and wellness as they age.
Six focus groups were held at the Alumni House on UNCG's campus and a retirement community. The women were asked to discuss the following:
- Why they came to WC
- The significant event and health issues in their lives
- The factors they believed contributed to good quality of life and health
- Their recommendations for the survey
Altogether 20 women between the ages of 65 and 102 participated in the focus groups. We then conducted a quantitative survey with a randomly selected sample to investigate:
- Their experiences at WC
- Volunteer service
- Employment/paid work
- Spouse/partner
- Children
- Family
- Friends, neighbors, and community
- Thoughts about their life
- Physical activity
- Leisure activity
- Health
- Past and current living situation
What do you get when you send a 44 page containing 109 question health survey to over a 1,000 Woman's College Alumnae? "A phenomenon," says CWHW staff. When the Women's College Alumnae Study was distributed last year, few of us believed we would observed the response that we have had! The response rate is remarkable with over 55% of the surveys completed. All of the respondents are over the age of 60. Even more astounding is that 35 of the respondents are over 90 years old, and the oldest respondent was 98 years old.
When asked why they battened Woman's College, 90% of the participants replied, "It was reported to allow young women a certain freedom." Other participants (59%)came to Woman's College for its "great academic reputation." These are busy, service-oriented women:
- 94% engage in volunteer service
- 83% held leadership positions
- 96% were employed at some point during their lifetime
- 89% are mothers
In addition:
- 85% rate their health as good to excellent
- 93% agreed that they were satisfied with life that they have lived
- 79% believed that they had made the most of their talents and potential
As analysis of the data continues we know we will learn more. CWHW feels it is fair to say that this is a great group of women with an enormous amount of wisdom and knowledge to share with the world. We are grateful to all of the women who took so much of their own time and energy to tell us all how to live fulfilling lives.