The POWER Report: Volume 2
 | Chapter 8 |  | Chapter 9 |
Musculoskeletal conditions cause pain and physical disability which lead to increasing use of health care services. We report on how the health outcomes of musculoskeletal disorders and the quality of care differ by age, gender and socioeconomic status. This information can be used to identify areas where disparities can be reduced and care can be improved.
| The POWER Study Diabetes chapter provides critical information on patterns of disparities in diabetes care in Ontario that can be used to target interventions. The dramatic increase in the number of people with diabetes along with the complex clinical management of diabetes and associated complications make it one of the most costly and burdensome chronic diseases of our time. A greater understanding of potential disparities in prevalence, quality of care, and outcomes is necessary in order to better target resources and interventions to where they are most needed. It is predicted that between 2007 and 2017, 1.9 million Canadians will develop diabetes. Recent data from Ontario indicate that the rate of diabetes has increased dramatically over the last decade and has already surpassed the global prevalence predicted by the World Health Organization for 2030. Diabetes is one of the leading causes of blindness, the most common cause of end-stage renal disease in the developed world, and a major cause of cardiovascular complications such as heart attack and stroke. Furthermore, the treatment is complex and costly with the direct health care costs of diabetes ranging from 2.5 to 15 percent of health budgets. The increasing prevalence, associated complications and treatment costs make diabetes one of the most costly and burdensome chronic diseases of our time. | ||
 | Chapter 10 |  | Chapter 11
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This chapter focuses on the health of women as it specifically relates to their reproductive systems. Unlike other POWER Study chapters that examine the complex interplay between sex and health in the context of conditions that affect both men and women, this chapter focuses primarily on how the characteristics of women -- how old they are, how well educated, how wealthy, where they live -- affects health and health care issues that are unique to women. The issues covered in this chapter span the life course from teenage pregnancy to hysterectomy in older women. | HIV prevention and care is complex and directly influenced by stigma, marginalization and the social determinants of health. The POWER Study HIV infection chapter reports on indicators related to HIV infection including sections on incidence, prevalence and risk behaviours; community services for HIV; clinical care and HIV outcomes. This chapter provides critical information on patterns of care for women and men in Ontario, and how they vary by socioeconomic, demographic, HIV exposure category and regional characteristics. | ||
 | Chapter 12 Social Determinants of Health and The Populations at Risk | | Chapter 13 Conclusions and Policy Implications
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