2018 Community Well-Being Survey — How’s Life Going for You?

There’s an undeniable correlation between the state of one’s health and such things as financial security, neighborhood safety, level of education, and discrimination, to name just a few.  That’s why every three years a statewide survey asks dozens of questions of thousands of Connecticut residents. Who’s better off? Who’s struggling? And what conditions are causing the lack of a sense of well-being?

Some of the questions asked include: How happy are you? Have you see a dentist lately? Are local government officials responsive to your needs?

Who wants to know? Over 75 of the state’s hospitals, government agencies and charitable organizations will use the data to uncover gaps or barriers to health care and understand how they can improve well-being, especially for under-served/vulnerable individuals. We recently funded a grant to expand the survey of Middlesex County residents.

What are some of this year’s big headlines?

• Younger adults and women face high food insecurity.
• Anxiety has jumped among younger and middle-income adults.
• More adults feel some influence over local government.
• Life satisfaction is declining, particularly for younger and lower-income adults.
• Increasing shares of adults have less than six months’ worth of savings.

For the first time, the 2018 survey included questions about discrimination. “It’s been shown to have a large impact on people’s health, so it’s sort of this form of stress in society that translates into high blood pressure and other health conditions that it’s hard to capture that as a source in other ways,” Mark Abraham, executive director, DataHaven said.

Here’s a sampling of results related to discrimination:

• Health insurance status was the most cited reason people said they feel they received less respect or poorer treatment by health-care providers.
• Race was the most cited answer among those who felt unfairly targeted by police.
• Gender and age topped the list of reasons people said they received inferior services from someone such as a plumber or a mechanic.
• Among women who felt unfairly passed over for a promotion or job, 30 percent said gender was the main reason.

Want to know more about what Connecticut residents are reporting about discrimination? Check out a recent article in the Connecticut Mirror. Want a closer look at the data? Read DataHaven’s initial report.