Community Educational Project
In Community Health Nursing I (N492), you completed a community assessment. You will now analyze the data and plan for a community educational project.
Analyzing the data is important in interpreting the information to identify any significant themes or trends. This process can be done by organizing the information that has been collected during data gathering and data generation. You are looking for themes or indicators of an existing or potential health concern or issue. What factors are caused your population to develop unhealthy habits and lifestyles, to become ill or resulted in death? This analysis should result in the discovery of community health problems (needs) and community health strengths (resources) of the population.
Assignment
Discuss aspects of a health concern not being addressed despite the efforts of services and partnerships involved and describe the ultimate outcome(s) or goal(s) from Healthy People 2020 relating to that specific health concern.
Answer the following questions to assist in data interpretation:
- What similarities are apparent between the data that were gathered and the data that were generated?
- What differences are apparent between the data that were gathered and the data that were generated?
- What are the weakness and strengths of this community?
- In what areas is improvement needed in this community?
The assignment should be written in an APA-formatted essay. The essay should be between 1500 and 2000 words in length and include at least two scholarly sources other than provided materials.
Resources
https://www.healthypeople.gov/2020/topics-objectives
https://www.healthycommunities.org/resources/toolkit/files/step5-select-priority
Clark, M. J. (2015). Population and Community Health Nursing (6th ed.). Pearson. ISBN: 9780133859591. Read Chapter 15.
Sample Paper
What Similarities Are Apparent Between the Data That Were Gathered and The Data That Were Generated?
The apparent similarities between the data that was gathered and the data that was generated through the windshield survey of Bergen County, New Jersey, related to two main community need areas, including healthcare and employment. In Bergen County, healthcare service providers are therefore charged with delivering medical care to both adults and children through different services, including disease prevention, health promotion diagnosis, and treatment services (Clark, 2015). Focusing on health care needs is important to evaluate data related to the availability of insurance coverage in Bergen County. It is also important to evaluate the level of residents in the county with health care needs and the existence of community and support services that address the health and wellness of community members in Bergen County, such as hospitals, clinics, home visiting programs Medicaid services, and family success centers. Both the gathered data and the generated data from Bergen County indicate that there is a significant number of children under 18 years with no health Insurance coverage. According to the U.S. census bureau, at least 5.1% of children under the age of 18 years had no health insurance coverage in Bergen County by 2020 (U.S. Census Bureau, 2020). The proportion of children with no health insurance coverage in Bergen County was, therefore, greater than the estimated percentage statewide. Both generated and gathered data also indicated clearly that there is no sufficient health care services available in Bergen County in that at least 45.95% of Bergen County residents believe that they lack adequate health care services, with only 37.07% residents believing there is good quality of health care services in the community (DataUSA, 2019). Nearly 52.12% of the residents of Bergen County also believe that the available health care services are not widely known to those in need. The gathered data and the generated data also indicate that when it comes to prenatal care, Bergen County is categorized as average compared to other counties in New Jersey (DataUSA, 2019). The generated and gathered data from Bergen County, therefore, highlights that prenatal care is a priority health issue in the county. The lack of sufficient health insurance cover for adults is also another significant healthcare need that is evident in generated and gathered data in Bergen County. Most residents in Bergen County struggle with large insurance costs, with most opting not to have insurance covers (U.S. Census Bureau, 2020). The lack of sufficient insurance covers among community members in Bergen County contributes to the lack of access to preventative health care services and eventually poor healthcare outcomes.
The limitation of public transportation in different areas of Bergen County is also evident in both generated and gathered. Public transportation is therefore limited mostly in the northern part of Bergen County, including Franklin Lakes, Mahwah, Saddle River, and Oakland (City-Data.com, 2020). The limitation in public transportation in the northern part of Bergen County contributes to poor health care outcomes among communities that live in these areas because they cannot easily access healthcare facilities.
There is also a significant similarity between the generated and gathered data related to employment and career services in Bergen County. Through the windshield survey, it was evident that most people on the streets of Bergen County were made up of middle-aged adults. The availability of middle-aged adults in the Streets of Bergen County during working days suggests a higher proportion of unemployed people in the county. The gathered data from Bergen County confirms the high unemployment rates in the county, with the U.S. Census Bureau reporting at least a 7.8% unemployment rate in Bergen County by the end of 2020(U.S. Census Bureau, 2020). There are not enough services available to help with employment in Bergen County, while the existing services are not widely known to the majority members of the population in the county. The availability of employment is a priority because income levels determine the quality of life of an individual and whether they can afford health care services.
What Differences Are Apparent Between The Data That Were Gathered And The Data That Were Generated?
There were several differences between the data that was gathered and the data that was generated from Bergen County. These differences relate to areas such as the availability of food, housing, and community safety. From the generated data obtained from the windshield survey, it was evident that Bergen County has food stores and restaurants like Starbucks and McDonalds, supermarkets, pharmacy shops, and medical facilities, such as Bergen New Bridge Medical Center along the highway. The windshield survey indicated that there was sufficient food security in Bergen County. However, from the data gathered from different reliable sources such as the U.S. Census Bureau, it is evident that Bergen County has an issue of food insecurity, with approximately 7.2% of the households struggling to access healthy food (U.S. Census Bureau, 2020). From the gathered data, there is evidence that at least 33.56% of the residents in Bergen County believe that there is a need for more services to provide food aid in the community (U.S. Census Bureau, 2020). A significant proportion of the residents in Bergen County, especially those from lower socioeconomic areas, also struggle to access healthy foods, including fruits and vegetables. The northern areas of Bergen County that have significant limitations in public transportation also lack an effectively established network of grocery shops which limit the access of such communities to healthy food.
Another significant difference between the gathered data and the data that was generated from Bergen County relates to housing. Housing includes the availability of permanent, stable, affordable, and acceptable living conditions (Clark, 2015). However, the generated data highlights that most homes in this community look old and seem to be over 100 years old. The homes in Bergen are organized in apartment complexes, while the rest are a collection of single and multi-family homes. Many of the houses and apartments in the community have some comparable features, comprising both front lawns and back yards and have driveways leading to a separate garage. The overall picture of the generated data is that Bergen County has sufficient housing for all community members. However, this observation differs significantly from the gathered data, which highlights that at least 20% of households in Bergen County experience a severe cost burden when it comes to housing (City-Data.com, 2020). The proportion of households that struggle to pay rent in Bergen County is Greater than the overall percentage in New Jersey. Data from Bergen County highlights that at least 22% of households across the community struggle with severe housing problems such as severe cost burdens, overcrowding, lack of plumbing facilities, and lack of kitchen facilities (City-Data.com, 2020). Over the year’s scholarly research have therefore shown clearly that housing problems can contribute significantly to health problems. For instance, overcrowding in houses can be a major cause of respiratory diseases (Shahzad et al., 2019).
The final apparent difference between the generated data and the gathered data in Bergen County relates to community safety. Community safety is the ability to feel safe from violence and crime (Clark, 2015). The generated data from the windshield survey conducted in Bergen County suggests that most of the streets and sidewalks in the urban settings of the county are high quality. The generated data from the windshield survey also highlighted that the streets of Bergen County are composed of men and women who walk leisurely with less worry. The generated data suggests that Bergen County is a relatively safe community. However, the gathered data from Bergen County indicates that the rate of violent crimes in Bergen County is 0.9%, with incidences of motor vehicle theft and burglary, and larceny (City-Data.com, 2020). Although the rates of violent crimes and other safety issues are not that high in Bergen County, the community is not as safe as suggested by the generated data.
Strength and Weaknesses
The strength of Bergen County, which contributes to better health outcomes in the community, include the availability of walkways and recreational areas where community members can exercise, availability of food stores and supermarkets, and better community safety compared to statewide rates. Bergen County has at least three large parks and an extensive network of walkways and recreational areas. Such facilities encourage the community members in Bergen County to be more physically active and to mitigate different lifestyle diseases, including obesity and diabetes (Bias et al., 2020). On the other hand, Bergen County has lower violent crime rates compared to New Jersey as a whole. Members of Bergen County are therefore less likely to suffer from injuries or other forms of a health threat as a result of violent crimes compared to other counties. Another significant strength of Bergen County relates to the availability of many food stores and supermarkets in the county. A high number of food stores and supermarkets in Bergen County makes it easier for a population to eat healthy foods, including fruits and vegetables. The consumption of healthy foods across Bergen County contributes to a lower prevalence of lifestyle diseases.
On the other hand, the main weaknesses Of Bergen County related to health include lack of adequate health services, a big proportion of uninsured individuals in low-income groups, and a poor transportation network. The community in Bergen County does not have access to adequate health care services due to the lack of information on the availability of different healthcare services and the lack of sufficient health care facilities in the region. A big proportion of uninsured individuals is also a significant weakness of Bergen County when it comes to health. This is because uninsured individuals are less likely to utilize preventative health care services and are more likely to seek health care services after their condition has deteriorated, increasing the chances of poor health outcomes (Shahzad et al., 2019). A poor transportation network in some parts of Bergen County also contributes to the lack of access to healthcare services to some members of the population.
Areas of Improvement
The main areas of improvement that can contribute significantly to better health outcomes for the community in Bergen County include enhancing better public transportation networks, providing affordable insurance for low-income groups, and educating the general public on available health services while also constructing more healthcare facilities (Shahzad et al., 2019). Targeting these three main areas can therefore help to significantly improve the health of the Bergen County community.
References
Bias, T., Abildso, C., & Sarkees, E. (2020). The Importance of Individual-Site and System-Wide Community Health Needs Assessments. Frontiers in Public Health, 8. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2020.00020
City-Data.com. (2020). Bergen County, New Jersey (N.J.). Retrieved from http://www.city-data.com/county/Bergen_County-NJ.html
Clark, M. J. (2015). Population and Community Health Nursing (6th ed.). Pearson. ISBN: 9780133859591.
DataUSA (2019). Bergen County, New Jersey (N.J.). Retrieved from https://datausa.io/profile/geo/bergen-county-nj#civics
Shahzad, M., Upshur, R., Donnelly, P., Bharmal, A., Wei, X., Feng, P., & Brown, A. D. (2019). A population-based approach to integrated healthcare delivery: a scoping review of clinical care and public health collaboration. BMC Public Health, 19(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-019-7002-z
U.S. Census Bureau (2020), Bergen County, New Jersey; United States. Retrieved https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/bergencountynewjersey,US/PST045219
