A total of 1,163 residents in the Partners for a Healthier Community, Greater Fall River CHNA were interviewed during 1994 through 1999. Text and graphs in this report provide prevalence estimates for this CHNA, comparison data for Massachusetts and, where available, comparable data for the U.S. as a whole. In addition, where it exists, we also provide the relevant national Healthy People 2000 objective for that measure.
Tobacco use causes more deaths in the U.S. than any other preventable risk factor.
Smoking causes lung cancer as well as laryngeal, oral, esophageal, bladder, pancreatic, kidney, and cervical cancers. Lung cancer mortality rates are about 22 times higher for current male smokers and about 10-12 times higher for current female smokers compared to lifelong never smokers. Each year in Massachusetts, approximately 4,300 residents are diagnosed with lung cancer and 3,700 people die of the disease. The percentage of current smokers was significantly higher than the state average. Increasing BMI is positively correlated with higher blood cholesterol levels.