Volume 11 — February 13, 2014
ORIGINAL RESEARCH
Tailoring Community-Based Wellness Initiatives With Latent Class Analysis — Massachusetts Community Transformation Grant Projects
This map of Massachusetts shows each municipality coded as one of 10 latent classes: 1) economically stable rural communities; 2) rural communities with socioeconomic and health challenges; 3) retirement and resort communities; 4) rapidly suburbanizing low-density communities; 5) affluent, healthy suburbs; 6) transitioning suburbs with socioeconomic and health challenges; 7) growing, well-off suburbs with community assets that support healthy behaviors; 8) dense suburbs and small urban centers with health challenges; 9) healthy urban and near-urban communities; and 10) definitively urban communities with socioeconomic and health challenges. Although the analysis did not incorporate spatial relationships among municipalities, the typology map reveals geographic patterns in class membership. Classes 1 and 2 are in the central and western part of the state. Class 3 is in the western part of the state and along the easternmost coast. Classes 4 and 5 are mostly in the central and east-central part of the state, with several class 5 areas in the northernmost part of the state. Class 4 areas tend to be further west than class 5. Class 6 areas tend to be in the southeastern part of the state. Class 7 and class 8 areas appear mixed in among class 5 areas. Classes 9 and 10 are concentrated in a small area on the eastern coast and just west of that coastal area.
Figure. Geographic distribution of latent classes of municipalities in Massachusetts.
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