In an effort to better understand the health and wellness needs of Marblehead residents, the town’s Board of Health is preparing to launch its most comprehensive public health survey to date.
Backed by funding from nonprofit partners and in collaboration with UMass Boston, the initiative will assess the physical, mental, and social well-being of residents ages 18 and older, without costing the town a single tax dollar.
UMass Boston has worked with 75 other communities, including Salem and Swampscott, to collect similar data. Massaro said UMass is “committed to providing high-quality and academically sound information.”
He added that the data will provide benchmarks for improving individual health status and promoting community wellness.
“This is not just a checklist of diseases,” said Board of Health Chair Dr. Thomas Massaro in a recent interview. “This is about understanding how people are living, where they’re struggling, and how we can make Marblehead a healthier place across the board.”
The survey, set to launch on Sept. 1, will be mailed out in postcard form to all households, giving residents three weeks to respond online. Focus groups and seminars, some possibly held before Board of Health meetings or at the Council on Aging, will accompany the rollout to offer context on public health issues and encourage participation.
Postcards will be mailed to all adult residents, containing QR codes and information on how to complete the survey online, request a paper copy, or pick one up at locations like the COA or the library. The Board hopes to achieve at least a 30% response rate.
Focus groups will follow in early 2026, using survey findings to shape future Board of Health priorities. “We want to build a leadership group that can run with the ball,” Massaro said. “This is Marblehead telling us what matters most.”
He said in order to measure the Board’s effectiveness at improving the health of the town, “we must have a good baseline of data with which to compare our results.”
Massaro emphasized that while Massachusetts leads the U.S. in many health metrics, it still lags far behind much of the world. “In maternal mortality, for instance, we rank best in the country, yet 16 mothers still die for every 100,000 births here,” he said. “Compare that to countries like Norway or Japan, and we’re way behind.”
He also pointed to data showing high prescription drug use among American women, problems that a well-informed public health plan could help address.
The survey will serve as a foundation for a longer-term initiative known as CAHM — Creating A Healthier Marblehead. “CAHM is about building public health capacity from the ground up,” Massaro said. “If we want to ask for more resources or make changes, we need to be accountable and show the data.”
That accountability is one reason the survey will target adults starting at age 18, a departure from similar assessments in other communities, which often focus solely on seniors. While survey responses will remain anonymous, residents can opt in to participate in focus groups for deeper discussions on public health priorities.
Public trust remains a major challenge, Massaro acknowledged. “We’re still recovering from COVID-19 — not just the virus itself, but the damage to how people perceive public health institutions,” he said. “Rebuilding that trust is essential.”
The Board is hoping to complete the survey and focus group phase by mid-October to process results before the holiday season. Findings will help inform the town’s future health strategies, from improving sidewalks for seniors to addressing mental health needs among young adults.
“The ultimate goal,” Massaro said, “is to move from reacting to disease to creating wellness, and we can only do that by listening to the people who live here.”
Residents can expect more details in upcoming issues of the Marblehead Weekly News and are encouraged to watch for their postcard in early September.
