Elizabeth Powell--Public Health Trends in Boston

I learned about the public health trends of Boston, Massachusetts, a city I would like to live in later in life.  I had the opportunity to talk to a woman named Jeanne with the Boston Public Health Commission.  The five main issues she addressed were reducing low birth-weight rates, reducing obesity rates, reducing cardiovascular disease, reducing chlamydia rates, and improving racial minority health.   

1.       Reducing low birth rates: 8% of Caucasian babies born in Boston are born at low birthrates, and 12.7% of African American babies are born at low birth rates.  “Low birth weight” is defined by a weight of less than 5 pounds, 8 ounces (the average birth weight is around seven pounds).  Low birth weight can be dangerous because babies with low birth weights are more prone to complications.  They also have more trouble fighting infection.

2.       Reducing Obesity Rates:  In Boston, 32% of African American adults are obese and 17% of Caucasian adults are obese.  Obesity can cause a number of issues, such as hypertension, diabetes, heart disease, and joint problems. 

3.       Reducing cardiovascular disease:  This is one of the problems that go hand-in-hand with obesity rates.  Affecting women in particular, this complication is a major killer, but can be prevented by doing simple things such as exercising, not smoking, and eating a healthy diet in order to maintain a healthy heart.

4.       Reducing Chlamydia Rates:  Chlamydia is the most common STI in the United States.  Individuals between the ages of 15 and 24 are of biggest concern right now with the Boston Public Health Commission.

5.       Improving Racial Minority Health:  As shown by the previous numbers, there is a huge health gap among races, and the minorities consistently end up with higher rates of public health issues.  The Boston Public Health Commission has goals to reduce this gap; for example, they would like to reduce the obesity gap between African Americans and Caucasians by 30% in school-aged children and 20% in adults.