There is a research gap in rural women’s health in Canada and Beverly Leipert wants to fill it.
The University of Western Ontario nursing professor is working with colleagues at the universities of Calgary and Guelph, Ont., to help produce a book that will be used by academics, policymakers and rural doctors and nurses. They are asking for one-page proposals that outline possible chapters in such a book.
“Our position is that rural women play a critical role in rural family and community health and that the health of rural women has been a marginalized area of study,” Leipert said in a news release.
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In a later interview, she said she defines health as not just physical but also social, economic and cultural. As Leipert said it’s not just the cancers but the depression rate and what causes it.
Leipert said she wants to reflect the state of women’s health “on the ground, as well as research studies.”
She is encouraging those involved in the Prairie Women’s Health Centre of Excellence to write about their work and suggested women’s institutes may also want to write about rural women.
“I think it’s important that rural women and rural women’s groups write for it to give them a voice and power.”
The one-page proposals are due Jan. 28, and are to be e-mailed to bleipert@uwo.ca.
Then she and her colleagues will take a month to select proposals and notify the writers with an expected delivery of the chapters by September 2009.
After Leipert and her colleagues edit them, the essays will be read by another panel of university experts to ensure standards.
The book, which Liepert said is the first in Canada about this issue, is expected to be published in 2010.
