Community Health Assessment
Community Health Assessment: Case of King County My community is King County in Seattle, WA; the county is faced with many socio-economic and political challenges. For example, a considerable percentage of its population comprises low-income earners with some having low education levels; as a result, they also face major health threats. In addition, there is a shortage of healthcare facilities and providers, and hence the entire population faces major health challenges. To conduct an analysis and description of the strengths and weaknesses of the members of society that live in the town, I had to engage in an in-depth community health assessment.
In keeping with the United States Census Bureau (2015), the current population of King County …show more content…
stands at around 2.044 million people. Out of this, 49.8% of the population is composed of the male gender, while the 50.2% comprises females. With regard to the racial composition, 68.7% of the population of this county is white, 14.6% is Asian, 8.4 is Hispanic, 6.2% is black, and the other racial groups, such as American Indian and Native Hawaiian constitute the remaining 2.1% (City-Data.com, 2016). Most members of the young and adult populations of the county have access to education; for example, 92.1% of those above the age of 25 years has attained high school and college education. Similarly, a total of 47.1% of those above the age of 25 years have attained a Bachelor’s Degree.
The security status of the King County has deteriorated over the recent decades, with the crime rate standing at 316 per 10,000 citizens. This is chiefly down to the increase in the population and rate of unemployment, which has led to poverty (King county sheriff’s office, 2014). This has led to a rise in both violent and non-violent criminal activities, and hence the safety of the community is often compromised. There are widespread incidents of robbery, forcible sex offenses, vehicle theft, burglary, assaults, and homicides.
King County is full of numerous economic activities, such as tourism and other trade activities related to tourism; hence, its economy is relatively stable. The major economic activities include wholesale trade, agriculture, real estate, and manufacturing (King County, 2013). The majority of the population, comprising over 60% of the county’s residents, are in the civilian labor force, and therefore are categorized as middle-income earners. The rate of employment among those aged above 16 years is 62% where 56% of them are females. Despite the situation, the poverty rate is still considerably high in the county. According to the 2013 statistics, 21% of the entire population lived in poverty, where over 30% of children going to school and over 50% of individuals above 65 years were classified as poor (Employment Security Department,2015). In the same year, over 179, 000 households lived in poverty, and the median household income in the county stood at $41, 913.
King County is a culturally diverse community because it consists of different racial groups. The different groups engage in different types of sporting activities, music, art, and drama.
The distribution and prevalence of health conditions in King County are relatively unequal among the different economic classes of the population. Unequal access to health care plays a major role in the overall health of the population of the county. The percentage of women who are able to access medical services, for example, prenatal health care services, is above 80%. However, 9% of the babies are born underweight, while the infant mortality rate stands at 4.4% out of 10000 live births in the county (King county sheriff office, 2014). Death incidents cut across all ages in the county; however, instances of death are more prevalent among those aged above 65 years. The major epidemiological indicators in this community are hypertension, heart disease, diabetes, malignant neoplasm, chronic low respiratory diseases, asthma, cerebrovascular diseases, unintended injuries, Alzheimer, and influenza. The indicators mentioned above are also the major causes of death in the county.
In recent decades, the prevalence of the majority of the outlined epidemiological indicators in this community is on the rise due to poverty and unhealthy lifestyle among the citizens of King county. The major factors associated with hypertension in the community include the hazardous standards of living and poor diets that the majority of the residents are exposed to on a daily basis (Socialist Health Association, 2016). The negligent and disproportionate intake of foodstuffs high in fats and sugars and the lack of physical exercise contribute to the high rate of obesity and overweight in the community. Incidents of asthma and other respiratory diseases are associated with bad smoking habits and industrial manufacturing activities. Besides, mining and agricultural activities are re major pre-disposing factors of cerebrovascular diseases and other unintended injuries.
In any given community, there exist certain health inequalities. The attribute refers to preventable but unjust differences in the status of health experienced by different groups of people in a given region (Cancer Research UK, n.d.). The population of King County is faced with significant health inequalities due to the difference in socio-economic class and gender, which present further medical challenges. Health inequality is determined by social health determinants, such as socio-economic, cultural, and environmental conditions, which are as a result of public policy (Socialist Health Association, 2016). Based on the analysis of environmental, behavioral, economic and demographic statistics of King County, this section is going to assess the major health needs and risks of the community using several health assessment tools as discussed below.
Based on the economic status of this community, there are several factors that contribute to poor health conditions in the community.
As already discussed in the section above, poverty is a major issue of concern in King County. Over 30% and over 60% of school children and old aged persons respectively are living in abject poverty (Employment Security Department, 2015). One reason why a quarter of the whole population is living in poverty is probably the high unemployment rate. The majority of the population comprises middle-income earners, who work in wholesale trade and farming activities. Due to the poor economic status, the populace is faced with numerous health issues, for …show more content…
example:
i. Lack of sufficient healthcare insurance ii. Lack of quality healthcare centers iii. Lack of acute care healthcare centers iv. Malnutrition due to the lack of proper diet
Based on the above challenges, as identified by the economic assessment tool, the following are the major health needs of this community:
i. Improved diet and nutrition ii. The control and prevention of drug abuse, such as smoking and alcohol abuse. iii. Promotion of exercises and physical activities iv. Increasing the number of healthcare providers, such as doctors, nurses, and paramedics.
v. Improving the low health insurance coverage situation vi. The prevention and the treatment of AIDS.
Community safety inventory helps in assessing the health status of a given population by unveiling its psychological, physical, environmental, and social characteristics. It helps in the identification of safety issues in a community and the formulation and implementation of nursing interventions to solve the identified health issues. Based on this tool, there are various safety issues among members of this community. There is a high rate of crime in this county where out 316 out of 10,000 people experience events of the crime. The rate of unintended injuries in the county claims many lives on an annual basis; for example, it causes the deaths of 624 people in the county per annum. The injuries arise possibly from the construction, farming, and mining industries, which are the major economic activities of the community. Therefore, other health needs of this community are:
i. Delivery of emergency medical services ii. Increasing the supply of prenatal medicine iii. First aid education in the community.
The majority of the young generation of King County embraces pop culture. As a result, the residents engage in antisocial behaviors, such as smoking, alcoholism, and the abuse of hard drugs. Therefore, based on the cultural practices of this community, the emerging health needs here include:
i. Anti-drug abuse campaign ii. Drug abuse rehabilitation programs
Based on the findings of the economic assessment tool, poverty is a major factor of health challenges in this county. A poor population lacks access to quality healthcare services due to insufficient and inadequate medical facilities and providers as in the case of king county.
Based on the community safety assessment tool, a community that is unsafe due to criminal activities, as well as natural and man-made disasters, is vulnerable to health issues, for example, unintended injuries from accidents and violent criminal activities as witnessed in the community.
Cultural practices of the society are another major health determinant, and as shown in the findings of the cultural assessment tool, they lead to behaviors, such as smoking and the chronic abuse of alcohol and other drugs.
To curb the health issues identified through the tools above, the following community diagnosis should be implemented by the county government:
i. Free education should be provided to all members of the community up to college level to enhance its literacy levels. ii. More jobs should be created to provide employment, which can help reduce poverty levels iii. The state of security should be enhanced to reduce crime rates and ensure community safety iv. The county government should improve access to high-quality healthcare services by building more facilities and increasing the number of providers in king county. According to CDC (n.d.), the rate of obesity in this community stands at 67.4% out of a population that is nearly 2.7 million. In this regard, 13% of high-school students are obese, and only 12% participate in physical activity. The high rate of obesity and overweight is brought about by poor diet and the lack of physical activity. According to Washington state health (2013), cardiovascular diseases are a major concern in King County, and they caused the death of over 4900 citizens of the county in
2013. Due to the construction, farming, and mining activities and drug abuse in the county, injuries are a major health concern. Hence, appropriate measures should be taken to curb incidents of unintended injuries in the community.
The curbing of these health concerns is in line with the goals and objective of Healthy People 2020, which is to promote quality health and well-being of the American population by providing nursing interventions to health issues affecting it (ODPHP, 2014). Healthy People 2020 promotes healthy development, quality life, and healthy behaviors at all stages of life.
The chosen health concern in this section is obesity and overweight. The issue concerns members of the population who have excessive body weight. The community resources that can be used to address the health issue include sports facilities, such as football and athletics arenas and gyms and aerobics centers. These are facilities that can help the population engage in physical exercise to eliminate excessive fats from their bodies. Health care centers are also other important resources that can be used to address the issue of obesity and overweight in this county. The partners who can help address this health issue are food manufacturers, education stakeholders, healthcare practitioners, and the county government. Food manufacturers can help address this issue by reducing the amount of fat and sugars in the foods they manufacture. Stakeholders in the education field of study can also assist by encouraging learners to engage in physical exercise to burn excess calories. Medical practitioners can also play their part in educating and sensitizing the population on healthy diets and healthy living (Stanhope & Lancaster, 2016). On the other hand, the King County government can implement policies, such as health intervention programs, to promote healthy living.
In keeping with the United States Census Bureau (2015), the current population of King County …show more content…
stands at around 2.044 million people. Out of this, 49.8% of the population is composed of the male gender, while the 50.2% comprises females. With regard to the racial composition, 68.7% of the population of this county is white, 14.6% is Asian, 8.4 is Hispanic, 6.2% is black, and the other racial groups, such as American Indian and Native Hawaiian constitute the remaining 2.1% (City-Data.com, 2016). Most members of the young and adult populations of the county have access to education; for example, 92.1% of those above the age of 25 years has attained high school and college education. Similarly, a total of 47.1% of those above the age of 25 years have attained a Bachelor’s Degree.
The security status of the King County has deteriorated over the recent decades, with the crime rate standing at 316 per 10,000 citizens. This is chiefly down to the increase in the population and rate of unemployment, which has led to poverty (King county sheriff’s office, 2014). This has led to a rise in both violent and non-violent criminal activities, and hence the safety of the community is often compromised. There are widespread incidents of robbery, forcible sex offenses, vehicle theft, burglary, assaults, and homicides.
King County is full of numerous economic activities, such as tourism and other trade activities related to tourism; hence, its economy is relatively stable. The major economic activities include wholesale trade, agriculture, real estate, and manufacturing (King County, 2013). The majority of the population, comprising over 60% of the county’s residents, are in the civilian labor force, and therefore are categorized as middle-income earners. The rate of employment among those aged above 16 years is 62% where 56% of them are females. Despite the situation, the poverty rate is still considerably high in the county. According to the 2013 statistics, 21% of the entire population lived in poverty, where over 30% of children going to school and over 50% of individuals above 65 years were classified as poor (Employment Security Department,2015). In the same year, over 179, 000 households lived in poverty, and the median household income in the county stood at $41, 913.
King County is a culturally diverse community because it consists of different racial groups. The different groups engage in different types of sporting activities, music, art, and drama.
The distribution and prevalence of health conditions in King County are relatively unequal among the different economic classes of the population. Unequal access to health care plays a major role in the overall health of the population of the county. The percentage of women who are able to access medical services, for example, prenatal health care services, is above 80%. However, 9% of the babies are born underweight, while the infant mortality rate stands at 4.4% out of 10000 live births in the county (King county sheriff office, 2014). Death incidents cut across all ages in the county; however, instances of death are more prevalent among those aged above 65 years. The major epidemiological indicators in this community are hypertension, heart disease, diabetes, malignant neoplasm, chronic low respiratory diseases, asthma, cerebrovascular diseases, unintended injuries, Alzheimer, and influenza. The indicators mentioned above are also the major causes of death in the county.
In recent decades, the prevalence of the majority of the outlined epidemiological indicators in this community is on the rise due to poverty and unhealthy lifestyle among the citizens of King county. The major factors associated with hypertension in the community include the hazardous standards of living and poor diets that the majority of the residents are exposed to on a daily basis (Socialist Health Association, 2016). The negligent and disproportionate intake of foodstuffs high in fats and sugars and the lack of physical exercise contribute to the high rate of obesity and overweight in the community. Incidents of asthma and other respiratory diseases are associated with bad smoking habits and industrial manufacturing activities. Besides, mining and agricultural activities are re major pre-disposing factors of cerebrovascular diseases and other unintended injuries.
In any given community, there exist certain health inequalities. The attribute refers to preventable but unjust differences in the status of health experienced by different groups of people in a given region (Cancer Research UK, n.d.). The population of King County is faced with significant health inequalities due to the difference in socio-economic class and gender, which present further medical challenges. Health inequality is determined by social health determinants, such as socio-economic, cultural, and environmental conditions, which are as a result of public policy (Socialist Health Association, 2016). Based on the analysis of environmental, behavioral, economic and demographic statistics of King County, this section is going to assess the major health needs and risks of the community using several health assessment tools as discussed below.
Based on the economic status of this community, there are several factors that contribute to poor health conditions in the community.
As already discussed in the section above, poverty is a major issue of concern in King County. Over 30% and over 60% of school children and old aged persons respectively are living in abject poverty (Employment Security Department, 2015). One reason why a quarter of the whole population is living in poverty is probably the high unemployment rate. The majority of the population comprises middle-income earners, who work in wholesale trade and farming activities. Due to the poor economic status, the populace is faced with numerous health issues, for …show more content…
example:
i. Lack of sufficient healthcare insurance ii. Lack of quality healthcare centers iii. Lack of acute care healthcare centers iv. Malnutrition due to the lack of proper diet
Based on the above challenges, as identified by the economic assessment tool, the following are the major health needs of this community:
i. Improved diet and nutrition ii. The control and prevention of drug abuse, such as smoking and alcohol abuse. iii. Promotion of exercises and physical activities iv. Increasing the number of healthcare providers, such as doctors, nurses, and paramedics.
v. Improving the low health insurance coverage situation vi. The prevention and the treatment of AIDS.
Community safety inventory helps in assessing the health status of a given population by unveiling its psychological, physical, environmental, and social characteristics. It helps in the identification of safety issues in a community and the formulation and implementation of nursing interventions to solve the identified health issues. Based on this tool, there are various safety issues among members of this community. There is a high rate of crime in this county where out 316 out of 10,000 people experience events of the crime. The rate of unintended injuries in the county claims many lives on an annual basis; for example, it causes the deaths of 624 people in the county per annum. The injuries arise possibly from the construction, farming, and mining industries, which are the major economic activities of the community. Therefore, other health needs of this community are:
i. Delivery of emergency medical services ii. Increasing the supply of prenatal medicine iii. First aid education in the community.
The majority of the young generation of King County embraces pop culture. As a result, the residents engage in antisocial behaviors, such as smoking, alcoholism, and the abuse of hard drugs. Therefore, based on the cultural practices of this community, the emerging health needs here include:
i. Anti-drug abuse campaign ii. Drug abuse rehabilitation programs
Based on the findings of the economic assessment tool, poverty is a major factor of health challenges in this county. A poor population lacks access to quality healthcare services due to insufficient and inadequate medical facilities and providers as in the case of king county.
Based on the community safety assessment tool, a community that is unsafe due to criminal activities, as well as natural and man-made disasters, is vulnerable to health issues, for example, unintended injuries from accidents and violent criminal activities as witnessed in the community.
Cultural practices of the society are another major health determinant, and as shown in the findings of the cultural assessment tool, they lead to behaviors, such as smoking and the chronic abuse of alcohol and other drugs.
To curb the health issues identified through the tools above, the following community diagnosis should be implemented by the county government:
i. Free education should be provided to all members of the community up to college level to enhance its literacy levels. ii. More jobs should be created to provide employment, which can help reduce poverty levels iii. The state of security should be enhanced to reduce crime rates and ensure community safety iv. The county government should improve access to high-quality healthcare services by building more facilities and increasing the number of providers in king county. According to CDC (n.d.), the rate of obesity in this community stands at 67.4% out of a population that is nearly 2.7 million. In this regard, 13% of high-school students are obese, and only 12% participate in physical activity. The high rate of obesity and overweight is brought about by poor diet and the lack of physical activity. According to Washington state health (2013), cardiovascular diseases are a major concern in King County, and they caused the death of over 4900 citizens of the county in
2013. Due to the construction, farming, and mining activities and drug abuse in the county, injuries are a major health concern. Hence, appropriate measures should be taken to curb incidents of unintended injuries in the community.
The curbing of these health concerns is in line with the goals and objective of Healthy People 2020, which is to promote quality health and well-being of the American population by providing nursing interventions to health issues affecting it (ODPHP, 2014). Healthy People 2020 promotes healthy development, quality life, and healthy behaviors at all stages of life.
The chosen health concern in this section is obesity and overweight. The issue concerns members of the population who have excessive body weight. The community resources that can be used to address the health issue include sports facilities, such as football and athletics arenas and gyms and aerobics centers. These are facilities that can help the population engage in physical exercise to eliminate excessive fats from their bodies. Health care centers are also other important resources that can be used to address the issue of obesity and overweight in this county. The partners who can help address this health issue are food manufacturers, education stakeholders, healthcare practitioners, and the county government. Food manufacturers can help address this issue by reducing the amount of fat and sugars in the foods they manufacture. Stakeholders in the education field of study can also assist by encouraging learners to engage in physical exercise to burn excess calories. Medical practitioners can also play their part in educating and sensitizing the population on healthy diets and healthy living (Stanhope & Lancaster, 2016). On the other hand, the King County government can implement policies, such as health intervention programs, to promote healthy living.