Women’s Health Week activities stacking up

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By Deirdre Cox Baker | Thursday, May 8, 2008 3:10 PM CDT | () comments

A different way to measure bone health and an activity-packed evening called Ladies’ Night Out highlight the list of Quad-City area events scheduled for the upcoming National Women’s Health Week.

The screening is for Vitamin D, an essential component in bone health, according to Dr. Paula Arnell, a pathologist and laboratory director for the Trinity Regional Health System.

“It helps ensure that the body absorbs and retains calcium, which is critical for building strong, healthy bones,” she said.

Low levels of Vitamin D are associated with reduced absorption of calcium, bone loss and osteoporosis, a condition affecting some 10 million Americans, 80 percent of whom are female.

Trinity will host screenings at two locations, including the Trinity Enrichment Center in Davenport and the Trinity Visiting Nurse and Homecare Association in Moline.

Many health tests are not pleasant, such as having a mammogram, said Shirley McLemore, chairwoman of the National Women’s Health Committee, noting that the tests save lives.

“We tend to take care of everyone else but forget about the importance of taking care of ourselves,” she said. “We need to put our health exams above nail and hair appointments.”

Ladies’ Night Out is set for 5:30-10 p.m. Friday at The Lodge, Spruce Hills Drive and Utica Ridge Road in Bettendorf. The event is in its fourth year and is sponsored by United Neighbors Inc. as well as several other area organizations.

It “will be a fun evening event where women can come out, relax and enjoy themselves,” McLemore said.

There will be a 5:30 p.m. social gathering; a 6:15 p.m. dinner and a program from 7 to 10 p.m. Entertainment will include the Flamenco Dance Troupe, American Indian women drummers and a comedian. Dress is very casual, including jogging suits, since a lot of audience participation is anticipated.

The $12 tickets are available at United Neighbors in Davenport, (563) 322-7363; and the American Cancer Society Discovery Shop, Cumberland Square, Bettendorf, (563) 355-0824.

Vitamin D screenings

The new test for Vitamin D will be available all week long on both sides of the Mississippi River. Fasting is not required for the test, but Arnell suggested it, saying that an overnight fast is preferable for measuring most biological substances in the blood. It also reduces the effects on the results of medication or substances in recent meals.

Many women do not get Vitamin D in adequate amounts, the doctor said, pointing to a national health survey from 2004. It found that 70 percent of women 51-70 years old, and 90 percent of women older than 70, have low Vitamin D levels. That group is also at the greatest risk of developing osteoporosis.

Vitamin D can be absorbed into skin from the sun, but that becomes more limited as women increasingly use sunscreen and other forms of skin protection. It is found naturally in some foods, such as fatty fish, but is also in fortified milk, orange juice and cereals.

Screenings cost $35 and will be available at these locations:

n Monday, May 12 — 8:30-10:30 a.m., Trinity Enrichment Center, 4622 Progress Drive, Suite A, Davenport, and 3-5 p.m., Trinity Visiting Nurse and Homecare Association, 106 19th Ave., Suite 101, Moline.

n Tuesday, May 13 — 8:30-10:30 a.m., Trinity Visiting Nurse and Homecare Association, Moline; 3-5 p.m., Trinity Enrichment Center, Davenport.

n Wednesday, May 14 — 8:30-10:30 a.m., Trinity Enrichment Center, Davenport, and 3-5 p.m., Trinity Visiting Nurse and Homecare Association, Moline.

n Thursday, May 15 — 8:30-10:30 a.m., Trinity Visiting Nurse and Homecare Association, Moline; 3-5 p.m., Trinity Enrichment Center, Davenport.

n Friday, May 16 — 8:30 to 10:30 a.m., Trinity Enrichment Center, Davenport, and 3-5 p.m., Trinity Visiting Nurse and Homecare Association, Moline.

For more information, call Trinity’s My Nurse, (309) 779-2000.

Deirdre Cox Baker can be contacted at (563) 383-2492 or dbaker@qctimes.com. Comment on this story at qctimes.com.