Health and Nutrition of Norton Center, MA Residents

Diet Behavior & Nutrition

Forty seven percent of Norton Center residents report that their diet is generally healthy. People here have milk to drink or on their cereal 20 times per month. This includes chocolate and other flavored milks, as well as hot cocoa made with milk, and does not count small amounts of milk added to coffee or tea. People living here eat an average of five meals (breakfasts, lunches or dinners) per week that were prepared away from home in places such as restaurants, fast food places, food stands, grocery stores or from vending machines. They get two of these meals from a fast-food or pizza place. People here eat two "ready to eat" foods such as salads, soups, chicken, sandwiches and cooked vegetables per month. They also eat four frozen meals or frozen pizzas on average monthly.

Summary

The biggest differences compared to state averages have been highlighted with a blue background.

Oral Health

The average Norton Center resident last visited a dentist two years ago (including all types of dentists, such as, orthodontists, oral surgeons, and all other dental specialists, as well as dental hygienists). Fourteen percent of people living here 30 years of age and older, are embarrassed because of their teeth, mouth or dentures. Twenty five percent think they might have gum disease (might have swollen gums, receding gums, sore or infected gums or loose teeth). Norton Center residents rate the overall health of their teeth and gums on average at 46 percent. People living here aged 30 years and older, aside from brushing their teeth with toothbrush, use dental floss or any other device that clean between teeth on average two days per week. They also use mouthwash or other dental rinse products to treat dental disease or dental problems an average of three days per week. The average person living here (including children) has 26 teeth.

Summary

The biggest differences compared to state averages have been highlighted with a blue background.

Weight

The average height of Norton Center residents 16 years and older is 69 inches. The average weight is 194 pounds. Their average BMI (Body Mass Index) is 28. Thirty four percent of people living here are obese. Forty seven percent have ever been obese. Twenty eight percent have ever tried to lose weight.

Summary

The biggest differences compared to state averages have been highlighted with a blue background.

Drug Use

Sixty nine percent of Norton Center residents have ever used marijuana or hashish. Twenty seven percent of people living here have ever used cocaine, crack cocaine, heroin or methamphetamine. Twenty six percent have ever used any form of cocaine, such as powder, 'crack', 'free base', and coca paste. Three percent have ever used heroin. Fourteen percent have ever used methamphetamines.

Summary

The biggest differences compared to state averages have been highlighted with a blue background.

Diabetes

Six percent of people living in Norton Center have ever been told by a doctor or health professional that they have diabetes. Thirty four percent of people had a blood test for high sugar or diabetes within the past three years. Three percent of city residents are currently taking insulin.

Summary

The biggest differences compared to state averages have been highlighted with a blue background.

Kidney Conditions-Urology

Norton Center residents 20 years and older on average get up to urinate one time at night (from time they go to bed at night until the time they get up in the morning).

Summary

The biggest differences compared to state averages have been highlighted with a blue background.

Taste & Smell

Twelve percent of Norton Center residents above the age of 40 have problems with their ability to smell, such as not being able to smell things or things not smelling the way they are supposed to. Three percent have been having problems with their ability to taste sweet, sour, salty or bitter foods and drinks. Sixty six percent of people above the age of 40 have ever had wisdom teeth removed. Twenty four percent have ever had their tonsils removed. Twenty four percent have lost consciousness because of a head injury. Thirty two percent have ever had a broken nose or other serious injury to face or skull. Thirty seven percent have had two or more sinus infections.

Summary

The biggest differences compared to state averages have been highlighted with a blue background.

Health Insurance

Sixty eight percent of people living in Norton Center are covered by health insurance or some other kind of health care plan.

Summary

Blood Pressure & Cholesterol

Twelve percent of people living in Norton Center have been ever told by a doctor or other health professional that they had hypertension (also called high blood pressure). Twenty percent of people take their blood pressure at home. Twenty nine percent of people in Norton Center frequently check their blood cholesterol. Eleven percent of people have ever been told by a doctor or other health professional that their blood cholesterol level was high.

Summary

The biggest differences compared to state averages have been highlighted with a blue background.

Dermatology

Thirty two percent of people living in Norton Center use sunscreen.

Summary

Mental Health

Twenty six percent of Norton Center residents 18 years old and older have usually little interest or pleasure in doing things. Twenty six percent often feel down, depressed, or hopeless. Forty five percent of people living here have trouble falling or staying asleep, or sleep too much. Fifty percent of people often feel tired or have little energy. Twenty three percent are bothered by poor appetite or overeating. Twenty one percent often feel badly about themselves, that they are a failure or have let themselves or their families down. Twenty one percent have trouble concentrating on things, such as reading the newspaper or watching TV. Fifteen percent of people living here move or speak so slowly that other people could have noticed, or the opposite - being so fidgety or restless that they have been moving around a lot more than usual. Five percent have thoughts that they would be better off dead or of hurting themselves in some way.

Summary

Prescription Medications

Norton Center residents on average take one prescription medicines.

Summary

The biggest differences compared to state averages have been highlighted with a blue background.

Alcohol use

Eighty eight percent of people living in Norton Center have at least one alcoholic drink per month. Seven percent of people living here do not drink alcohol at all. People living here drink alcohol 6.4 days per month on average. They have 7.7 drinks per week. On average people living here have 5 or more drinks on 35 days a year.

Summary

The biggest differences compared to state averages have been highlighted with a blue background.

Sexual Behavior

Ninety four percent of Norton Center residents 18 years and older have ever had vaginal, anal or oral sex. Ninety one percent of males have ever had vaginal sex with a woman. Eighty six percent have ever performed oral sex on a woman. Fifty one percent have ever had anal sex with a woman. Eight percent of males in Norton Center have ever had any kind of sex with a man, including oral or anal. Eighty one percent of females have ever had vaginal sex with a man. Seventy two percent have ever performed oral sex on a man. Thirty three percent have ever had anal sex. Six percent of females have ever had any kind of sex with a woman. People in Norton Center were 17 years old on average when they had sex for the first time. The average man in his lifetime had any kind of sex with 23 women. He has vaginal sex with 20 women. People living here were on average 18 years old when they first performed oral sex on a woman. In their lifetime they performed oral sex on average on 10 women. Males in their lifetime have anal or oral sex with 2.4 men on average. They have had 1.4 anal sex partners in their lifetime. People in Norton Center were 17 years old on average when they first performed oral sex on a man. They performed oral sex on average on four men in their lifetime. Ten percent of people use protection, like a condom or dental dam, while performing oral sex. The average person in Norton Center has vaginal or anal sex 74 times a year. Fifty four percent have sex without using a condom. Women here have on average 0.4 female sex partners in their lifetimes. Eighty three percent of men 18 years old and older are circumcised.

Summary

The biggest differences compared to state averages have been highlighted with a blue background.

Pesticide Use

Nine percent of households in Norton Center use chemical products in their homes to control fleas, roaches, ants, termites or other insects. Five percent use chemical products in their lawns or gardens to kill weeds.

Summary

Sleep Disorders

Norton Center residents 16 years and older usually get seven hours of sleep at night on weekdays or workdays. Twenty four percent of them have trouble sleeping.

Summary

The biggest differences compared to state averages have been highlighted with a blue background.

Smoking-Cigarette Use

Fifty eight percent of Norton Center residents currently smoke cigarettes.

Summary

Physical Activity

Thirty seven percent of Norton Center residents' work involve vigorous-intensity activity that causes large increases in breathing or heart rate, like carrying or lifting heavy loads, digging or construction work for at least 10 minutes continuously. Fifty percent of people do moderate-intensity activities at work that cause small increases in breathing or heart rate such as brisk walking or carrying light loads for at least 10 minutes continuously. Thirty four percent walk or bicycle for at least 10 minutes continuously to get to and from places. Twenty eight percent do any vigorous-intensity sports, fitness or recreational activities that cause large increases in breathing or heart rate like running or basketball for at least 10 minutes continuously. Forty seven percent do any moderate-intensity sports, fitness or recreational activities that cause a small increase in breathing or heart rate such as brisk walking, bicycling, swimming or golf for at least 10 minutes continuously. People living here spend six hours sitting on a typical day (this includes sitting at work, at home, getting to and from places, or with friends, including time spent sitting at a desk, traveling in a car or bus, reading, playing cards, watching television or using a computer). They usually sit and watch TV or videos for about three hours per day. They use a computer or play computer games (including Playstation, Nintendo DS, or other portable video games) outside of work or school for 1.6 hours per day.

Summary

The biggest differences compared to state averages have been highlighted with a blue background.

Medical Conditions

Seven percent of Norton Center residents have ever been told by a doctor or other health professional that they had asthma. Three percent of people 16 years and older have ever been told by a doctor or other health care professional that they had psoriasis. Twenty eight percent are overweight. Sixteen percent of people 60 years and older have difficulties in thinking or remembering that can make a big difference in everyday activities (this does not refer to occasionally forgetting your keys or the name of someone you recently met). This refers to things like confusion or memory loss that are happening more often or getting worse. Seven percent of people living in Norton Center have ever received a blood transfusion. Fourteen percent have trouble seeing, even when wearing glasses or contact lenses. Fourteen percent of people 20 and older have arthritis. Three percent have ever been told they had gout. One percent have congestive heart failure. Two percent have coronary heart disease. One percent have angina, also called angina pectoris. Two percent have ever had a heart attack, also called myocardial infarction. Two percent have been ever told by a doctor or other health professional that they had a stroke. Two percent have ever had emphysema. Four percent have another thyroid problem. Three percent have ever had chronic bronchitis. One percent of people had any kind of liver condition. Four percent have ever had cancer or a malignancy of any kind.

Summary

The biggest differences compared to state averages have been highlighted with a blue background.

Reproductive Health

Fifty eight percent of births in Norton Center were vaginal deliveries. Forty two percent of deliveries were cesarean. 99.9 percent of deliveries resulted in live births. Forty six percent of pregnancies resulted in a delivery. Sixty seven percent of women breastfeed their children. Forty two percent have ever taken birth control pills for any reason. Seven percent of women are currently taking birth control pills. Nineteen percent have ever used Depo-Provera or injectable birth control to prevent pregnancy.

Summary

The biggest differences compared to state averages have been highlighted with a blue background.

Current Health Status

People living in Norton Center report their general health condition on average at 59 percent. Six percent of them donate blood. Excluding tests they have had as part of blood donations, 39 percent of Norton Center residents have ever had their blood tested for the AIDS virus infection. Ten percent of people living in Norton Center are left-handed.

Summary

The biggest differences compared to state averages have been highlighted with a blue background.

Consumer Behavior

People in Norton Center spend $328 per month on average on food for their families at supermarkets or grocery stores. This is 23 percent of their income. The average family in Norton Center spends $76 on food at other stores monthly. This is six percent of their income. They spend $143 on eating out, including cafeterias at work or at school or on vending machines. This is 13 percent of their income. They also spend $23 monthly on carried out or delivered food. This is two percent of their income.

Summary

The biggest differences compared to state averages have been highlighted with a blue background.

Audiometry

People living in Norton Center report their general condition of hearing on average at 80 percent. Eighty two percent of them can usually hear and understand, without the use of a hearing aid or any other listening devices, what a person says without seeing his or her face if that person whispers to them from across a quiet room. Ninety four percent of people can hear a normal voice across a quiet room. Twenty two percent of Norton Center population have been bothered by ringing, roaring or buzzing in their ears or head. Sixty one percent of people living here have ever had a job where they were exposed to loud sounds or noise. Loud means so loud that they must speak in a raised voice to be heard. Twenty one percent of people in Norton Center had off-work exposure to loud noise.

Summary

The biggest differences compared to state averages have been highlighted with a blue background.

Preventive Aspirin Use

Twenty one percent of Norton Center residents 40 and older take a low-dose aspirin each day to prevent heart attacks, strokes or cancer.

Summary

The biggest differences compared to state averages have been highlighted with a blue background.

Physical Functioning

Fifteen percent of Norton Center residents 20 or older have limitations caused by a long-term physical, mental or emotional problems or illnesses keeping them from working at a job or business. Nineteen percent are limited in the kind or amount of work they can do because of physical, mental or emotional problems. Five percent have difficulty walking without using any special equipment. Eight percent are limited in any way because of difficulty remembering or because they experience periods of confusion. Four percent of people here have health problems that require them to use special equipment, such as a cane, wheelchair, special bed or special telephone.

Summary

The biggest differences compared to state averages have been highlighted with a blue background.