We calculated these transition probabilities using data from the longitudinal National Health and Nutrition Evaluation Survey, which assessed a cohort of
women in 1987 and the same
women again
in 1992.25 Several limitations of these data affect our model: 1) because this national survey lacks data on
women before
age 35 years,
women in our model could not
develop hypertension, type 2 diabetes mellitus, or MI before
age 35 years; 2) because longitudinal survey data were only available for a 5 - year interval, we assumed that transition probabilities were stable within the 5 - year intervals and converted these probabilities from 5 - year to 1 - year intervals; 3) because the survey data were too few to provide stable estimates by year of
age, we used transition probabilities for
women in three
age groups:
aged 50 years and younger, 51 — 65 years, and 65 years and older.
Eight to twelve
women with similar gestational
ages meet together, learning care skills, participating
in a facilitated discussion, and
developing a support network with other
group members.