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This forum provides an opportunity to expand on and link the mission of Healthy City Fall River with other health and other fields that affect the well being of those who live and work in Fall River.

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March 23, 2007

On March 20, The Massachusetts Department of Public Health released the report, Massachusetts Deaths 2005.  While the statistics for Massachusetts as a whole are encouraging – the Bay State’s death rate is ten percent below the national death rate – the news about the state of our health in Fall River and a number of similar cities is not so good.

 Fall River, along with our neighbors in New Bedford, find ourselves among the top five communities in the Commonwealth with the highest Premature Death Rates (PMR)PMR is the number of deaths less than 75 years per 100,000 (age-adjusted to the 2000 United States standard population under 75 years old).   In 2005 Fall River’s PMR was 441 as compared to the state average of 317.   Look at these PMR figures from the DPH study:

Newton                       172.4
Massachusetts           317.0
Fall River                    441.3
New Bedford               443.2

An interesting comparison appeared in the New Bedford Standard Times the other day, “A person who lives in New Bedford or Fall River has more than double the odds of dying young as does a resident of far more affluent Newton”. 

So, what’s going on?  Well, a lot of things. 

First and most obviously is chronic disease rates.  For many years the leading cause of death in Fall River, as well as in the rest of the state, is heart disease. For many years Fall River has had a high rate of heart disease, among the highest in the state.  The data look similar when you look at two other chronic disease killers – lung cancer and diabetes.  High rates of chronic disease mean high rates of premature death.

But you also have to look at why Fall River residents have more heart attacks and incidents of lung cancer and diabetes. 

Fall River has higher than average rates of cancers related to smoking. Behavior Risk Factor Surveys (BRFSS) conducted by DPH consistently show Fall River has a higher than average smoking rate.

Type II diabetes (formerly known as adult onset) is related to obesity and sedentary lifestyles.  Again, the BRFSS surveys indicate that on average, local residents are overweight don’t eat the as well as they should, and don’t get the recommended amount of exercise.

Of course, heart disease is related to all of these lifestyle issues – smoking, overweight, sedentary lifestyles, and poor nutrition.

The DPH report goes deeper than healthy lifestyles.  The disparities in premature death and other health status indicators are also statistically related to larger social factors including race, educational attainment, and income.  Newton, with the lowest PMR in the state, has a median household income of $86,000 while the median income in Fall River and New Bedford is $29,000 and $28,000 respectively. 

Considering educational attainment as a factor related to PMR, statewide, people with a high school education or less are more than three times as likely to die young as their counterparts with more schooling.

So what should we make of this?

Massachusetts Deaths 2005 clearly documents the breadth of the challenges we face in creating a healthier Fall River.  Healthy City Fall River already recognizes link between health status and other community factors such as education and income.   Our comprehensive Action Plan includes economic, educational attainment and lifestyle goals that complement efforts to improve health care and preventive health approaches.  But the report is useful as a means of crystallizing what will continue to happen if we don’t move to make Fall River a healthier community – people will die young at a higher rate than if we are able to improve the circumstances in which we all live and work here in Fall River.

Massachusetts Deaths 2005 can be a jumping off point for more conversation about how to make this community a healthier and more vibrant place to live, work, and raise a family.  More to come….what are your thoughts?

A healthy city is one where people come together to make their community better for themselves and others.  Fall River does not shy away from its challenges.  If you look around you’ll find that we have a lot we can build on to realize our vision of a healthy city in the future.

Click here for a copy of the 2005 DPH Mortality Report

March 5, 2007 - Gateway Cities