Social Determinants of Health and Health Disparities
Social Determinants of health are the economic and social conditions that determine the health of individuals and communities.
They include but are not limited to: education, literacy, employment, income security, early child development, food security, housing, freedom from racism or other discrimination, social supports and the overall conditions in which we live and work.
Health Disparities are the differences in the incidence and prevalence of health conditions and health status between groups. Health Disparities affect groups marginalized because of socioeconomic status, race/ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender, disability status, geographic location or some combination of these.
Mental Health Mortality Data (Community Health Assessment of North Central Massachusetts 2011)
All Area communities, with the exception of Clinton, had higher rates of Suicide Mortality than the State rate of 7 per 100,000. Among the communities with the highest rates were Gardner at 12.3, the Gardner Area Towns at 10.3 and Leominster at 9.
When the age-adjusted Suicide Mortality Rates are examined as trends between the 2000 and 2007 time periods using 3 year moving averages, the rates for Gardner appear to be consistently on the high side, while the rates for Clinton and Fitchburg were more variable.
Two of the reporting regions in CHNA 9 exhibited Mental Disorder Mortality Rates higher than the State during this time period. The Gardner Area Towns had the highest Mental Disorder Mortality Rate at 37.1, followed by Gardner at 36.7.
To view the full Community Health Assessment of North Central Massachusetts click here.