asthma, diabetes, and cardiovascular conditions. Many women have also reported cancer, with breast cancer being the most common. The report also highlights the high burden of mental health conditions including depression and anxiety, with these conditions often comorbid with physical health problems. The issue of comorbidity is further highlighted by the one third of women in the 1946-51 cohort who have two or more chronic conditions, with obesity linked closely to the prevalence of comorbidities. There are marked differences in the main causes of death between age cohorts. For the 1921-26 cohort the main causes of death are coronary heart disease, cerebrovascular disease, dementia, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and diabetes, but for the cohort they include the major cancers (breast, lung, colorectal, ovarian) and cerebrovascular disease. The burden on the health system of chronic conditions is evidenced by the significantly higher MBS and PBS costs for women with these conditions. With the higher prevalence of obesity among women in the 1946-51 cohort than in the 1921-26 cohort, and the links between obesity and a range of chronic conditions, these cost differentials are likely to increase over the coming decades. Introduction The Australian Longitudinal Study on Women’s Health (ALSWH) is a longitudinal survey examining the health of around 60,000 Australian women. The Study follows women in four age cohorts: women born 1921-26, 1946-51, 1973-78, and 1989-95. Women in the first three cohorts were first surveyed in 1996 and have since been surveyed each three years on a rolling basis. Since 2011, women in the 1921-26 cohort have been surveyed every six months. Women in the 1989-95 cohort were recruited in 2013, and completed their first follow-up survey in 2014. For all cohorts, data have been linked to the Medicare Benefits Schedule, the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme, Cancer Registries, hospital data for New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia and Western Australia, and the National Death Index. Survey data for the 1921-26 cohort are also linked to aged care data. These linked data allow for verification of self-reported conditions and for detailed assessment of patterns and costs of health care utilization.
BREAST CANCER The 1973-78 cohort have not been asked questions about breast cancer. The 1921-26 cohort ceased to be asked questions about breast cancer after their second survey (in 1999). 1946-51 cohort Survey Questions Response options 1 Q15 (j): Have you ever been told by a doctor that you have breast cancer? Yes/No 2 Q20: Have you ever been told by a doctor that you have breast cancer? Yes, in the last 2 years Yes, more than 2 years ago 3 Q35 (m): In the past 3 years, have you been diagnosed or treated for breast cancer? Yes, in the past 3 years 4 Q32 (l): In the past 3 years, have you been diagnosed or treated for breast cancer? Yes, in the past 3 years 5 Q38 (m): In the past 3 years, have you been diagnosed or treated for breast cancer? Yes, in the past 3 years 6 Q38 (n): In the past 3 years, have you been diagnosed or treated for breast cancer? Yes, in the past 3 years 7 Q32 (v): In the past 3 years, have you been diagnosed or treated for breast cancer? Yes, in the past 3 years 1921-26 cohort Survey Questions Response options 1 Q16 (k): Have you ever been told by a doctor you have breast cancer? Yes/No 2 Q1 (k): In the last 3 years, have you been told by a doctor that you have breast cancer? Yes, in the last 3 years