The ninth edition of Common Health for the Commonwealth updates data and trends on preventable health conditions and social factors affecting the health of Massachusetts residents. The report covers:
- Social Determinants of Health — the broad social, economic, and environmental factors — such as poverty, education, housing, and nutrition — that affect people’s health;
- Health Risk Factors — individual behaviors or personal characteristics, such as tobacco use, that affect health;
- Preventable Health Conditions — the chronic conditions (for example, asthma, obesity, oral disease) whose incidence may be reduced or managed through education, prevention, accessible and affordable treatment, and other approaches.
Report co-author Robert Seifert spoke with the Telegram & Gazette about the findings in the report, specifically that access to care and affordability are a challenge.