Massachusetts residents need to eat healthier, exercise more, watch their high blood pressure and convince their family members and neighbors who smoke, to quit. That’s the result of a survey released September 23 by the Massachusetts Department of Public Health.
The statewide telephone survey of over 8,000 Massachusetts residents age 18 and over profiles the health of the average Massachusetts resident. The survey also found that women in Massachusetts are more likely to have mammograms and pap smears than women in most other regions of the country.
“This survey is a good reminder that each of us has the power to make changes to lead a healthier lifestyle,†said MDPH Commissioner Christy Ferguson. “Investing in your personal health will add years to your life and to the quality of that life,†added Ferguson.
Among the highlights of the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System survey for 2000 – 2001:
Selected Highlights from the 2000 and 2001 BRFSS Reports:
Health risks and risk behaviors
• More than half (54%) of Massachusetts adults were overweight and 17% were obese. Hispanic and Black adults are at higher risk for obesity and overweight than Whites. Among Blacks and Hispanics, women are more likely to be obese than men are, while among Whites, men are more likely to be obese than women are. Since 1990, the percentage of adults who are overweight has risen 35% in our State (40% to 54%). Still, Massachusetts has the 2nd lowest obesity rate and 5th lowest overweight rate in the US. (A person 5’ 6†tall is considered overweight if he/she weights more than 155 lbs., and obese if he/she weighs more than 186 lbs.)
• More than 3 out 4 (77%) of Massachusetts adults reported exercising at least once over the past month and half (51%) participated in regular physical activity. College graduates are 48% more likely to exercise regularly than persons with less than a high school education.
• 30% of Massachusetts adults consumed five or more servings of fruits and vegetables per day, with women (36%) reporting high fruit and vegetable consumption more often than men (24%).
• 1 out of 5 Massachusetts adults were current smokers, while 2% reported being heavy smokers. Persons age 18-24 are 75% more likely to smoke than persons age 55-64. Massachusetts has the 4th lowest smoking rate in the US.
Health conditions
• 24% of Massachusetts adults reported having high blood pressure. Blacks (30%) are 22% more likely to report hypertension than Whites (24%), and 66% more likely than Hispanics (18%).
• 8% of Massachusetts adults 35 and older reported having a heart attack or angina and 2% reported having had a stroke. Men were likely to report both heart disease and stroke than women. Whites were more likely to report heart disease (9%) than Blacks (6%) or Hispanics (7%); whiles Blacks and Hispanics (5%) were more likely to report stroke than Whites (2%).
• 6% of Massachusetts adults reported having diabetes. Persons in households earning less than $25,000 a year were about 3 times more likely to report diabetes than persons earning over $ 75,000 (9% vs. 3%).
Screening and preventive services
• 4 out 5 adults (81%) reported having had their cholesterol checked within the last 5 years. This is highest rate in the US. Over 90% of persons over the age of 54 reported having their cholesterol checked.
• Among women ages 40 year of age and older, 84% had a mammogram within the past two years. Massachusetts has the 3rd highest breast cancer screening rate in the US. Rates of mammography increased 23% from 1992 to 2000 (68% to 84%). Breast cancer screening rates are slightly higher among Black and Hispanic women than among white women.
• 39% of Massachusetts adults ages 50 or older reported having a blood stool test in the last two years and 45% reported having had a sigmoidoscopy or colonoscopy in the past five years. Men are 11% more likely to report having had a sigmoidoscopy or colonoscopy than women (48% vs. 43%), while Whites (46%) and Blacks (44%) are 30% more likely than Hispanics (34%).
• 90% of women had a Pap smear in the past three years, with higher rates among the highest education (96%) and income (97%) categories. Massachusetts has the 6th highest cervical cancer screening rate in the US.
• Among men ages 50 and older, 64% reported having had a prostate specific antigen (PSA) test in the past year and 69% had a digital rectal exam (DRE) in the past year. College graduates are more likely to report both PSA testing and DRE exams than person with less education.
• Among Massachusetts adults ages 18-64, 46% reported ever having an HIV test and 13% reported having been tested for HIV within the past year. The highest testing rate is among persons age 25-34: almost 2 out 3 (65%) report ever having been tested while 1 out 5 (21%) report having been tested in last year. Blacks (33%) were almost 3 times as likely as whites (12%) to have been tested in the last year, while Hispanics (22%) were almost twice as likely as whites to be tested. Asians had the lowest rate of HIV testing (8% in the last year).
Information obtained from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System survey is used
to assist the Massachusetts Department of Public Health in identifying the need for health interventions, monitoring the effectiveness of existing programs and developing health policy and legislation.
The Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System survey, “A Profile of Health Among Massachusetts Adults, 2000-2001,†can be accessed at http://www.mass.gov/dph/bhsre/cdsp/brfss/brfss.htm
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Former Harry's Supermarket Under Construction for Restaurant
Late last month, the Conservation Commission greenlit some tree pruning on the property. New windows and a new door can be seen in the front of the building.
"It's a substantial renovation that's currently underway here," Brent White of White Engineering said, speaking on behalf of the applicant and owner, Huajie Zhu.
A fire gutted the longtime Wahconah Street supermarket in 2023, and the following year, Zhu purchased the property for $460,000 two years ago to build a restaurant with hibachi in the existing footprint of the more than 100-year-old building.
White explained that the project has been ongoing for over a year, and the Community Development Board granted the property a waiver to reduce the minimum required number of parking spaces so that additional spaces aren't needed.
He noted that, looking at the site plan, there is very little room to do so. A mirror will be installed near the sharp turn on Bel Air Avenue to alleviate traffic concerns.
Pruning will be done on trees in the southeast corner of the existing paved parking lot, as a number of branches are hanging over. The new owners also intend to patch, sealcoat, and re-stripe the parking lot.
A fire tore through the building less than an hour after the supermarket closed for the day three years ago. An automatic sprinkler system is required for the new use.
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