Community Health Equity Survey - Help us Improve Public Health

What is the Survey? 

The Community Health Equity Survey is an online anonymous survey. Results will help the Massachusetts Department of Public Health and communities across the state change conditions that get in the way of health. The survey was developed in collaboration with community members and partners across the state. Survey questions are based on the experiences and needs of Massachusetts residents. This survey asks about things that impact your health. Survey topics include access to health care and transportation, physical and mental health and wellbeing, experiences with COVID-19, housing, education, and work. It also asks for information such as age, gender, and race.

Click here to take the survey. 

How will taking this survey benefit my community?

Taking the survey helps make sure that the needs and priorities of your community show up in the data. Your answers to this survey will show what things help communities be healthy, and what things make it harder for communities to be healthy.

The Massachusetts Department of Public Health will use data from the survey to guide our work. This includes improving our programs, making decisions about funding and resources, and supporting policies to improve health inequities. We will also share the results of the survey with partners across Massachusetts to support the important work they are doing to improve health in their communities.

Who can take the survey?

Anyone ages 14 and over who lives in Massachusetts for some or all of the year can take this survey.

What language can I take the survey in?

You can take the survey in the following languages: Arabic, Cape Verdean Creole, Chinese (simplified and traditional), English, Haitian Creole, Khmer, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, Vietnamese. The survey will also be available in American Sign Language later this summer. If you’d like, someone else can translate the questions into your preferred language and fill out the survey for you.

How can I take the survey?

The Health Community Equity survey will be available online on July 31, 2023 and will close in October.

What should I expect when I take the survey?

After clicking the link, you will be able to choose the language you want to take the survey in. The survey may take anywhere from 15-30 minutes.

You will see questions around topics like access to health care and transportation, physical and mental health and wellbeing, experiences with COVID-19, housing, education, and work.

The survey asks for information about you such as age, race, and gender. This helps us understand how needs and experiences differ across group.

You can exit the survey at any time and skip any questions you want.

Is this survey anonymous?

The survey is completely voluntary and anonymous. The survey does not ask for any information that can be used to identify you, and your answers cannot be traced back to you in any way.

Who has access to my answers?

Some people who work for the Department of Public Health will have access to anonymous survey responses. After the survey closes, results will be shared with community partners so that they can use the information to understand where and how to best provide resources to improve health

Summarized data will also be available to everyone on our website through data tables, recorded presentations, and a data dashboard. The privacy of survey respondents is important to us, and your answers cannot be traced back to you in any way.

I have more questions. Who can I contact?

If you have additional questions about the survey, or might need help taking the survey, please email chei@mass.gov.