Designing a Wellness Program
Module 04 Assignment
1. When a health promotion specialist begins the task of designing a wellness program the first and most important step is performing a needs assessment. An important part of the needs assessment is collecting data. There are two main types of data. One is primary data. This is data that you obtain yourself from the population you intend to serve. Examples of primary data are: administer surveys by written or electronic questionnaires, telephone interviews, electronic interviews, face-to-face interviews, Delphi technique, community forums, focus groups, observation, and self assessments. This data is current and straight from the target population with specific information to answer planner’s questions. Negatives for this type of data mainly includes: cost, time, manpower. All of these methods of collecting primary data have their own unique advantages and disadvantages. However, one must examine the intangibles that are associated with each method on an individual program by program basis (McKenzie, Neiger, & Thackeray, 2009). The second form of data one may obtain is termed secondary data. This is data that has already been obtained by someone else and is readily available. Sources include governmental agencies, nongovernmental agencies and organizations, and data available in the literature. Examples of governmental source data from the CDC, FDA, and others would be: census data, health and vital statistics, behavioral risk factors, and cancer statistics. Nongovernmental sources like the American Cancer Society, the American Heart Association, and others can offer information and statistics on topics such as: cancer, heart disease, lung disease, stroke, and many more. Data from literature sources that are peer-reviewed such as Medline and ETHXWeb can be valuable tools to help identify the needs of one’s specific population. This data is generally inexpensive, easier to obtain, usually summarized, and requires less
1. When a health promotion specialist begins the task of designing a wellness program the first and most important step is performing a needs assessment. An important part of the needs assessment is collecting data. There are two main types of data. One is primary data. This is data that you obtain yourself from the population you intend to serve. Examples of primary data are: administer surveys by written or electronic questionnaires, telephone interviews, electronic interviews, face-to-face interviews, Delphi technique, community forums, focus groups, observation, and self assessments. This data is current and straight from the target population with specific information to answer planner’s questions. Negatives for this type of data mainly includes: cost, time, manpower. All of these methods of collecting primary data have their own unique advantages and disadvantages. However, one must examine the intangibles that are associated with each method on an individual program by program basis (McKenzie, Neiger, & Thackeray, 2009). The second form of data one may obtain is termed secondary data. This is data that has already been obtained by someone else and is readily available. Sources include governmental agencies, nongovernmental agencies and organizations, and data available in the literature. Examples of governmental source data from the CDC, FDA, and others would be: census data, health and vital statistics, behavioral risk factors, and cancer statistics. Nongovernmental sources like the American Cancer Society, the American Heart Association, and others can offer information and statistics on topics such as: cancer, heart disease, lung disease, stroke, and many more. Data from literature sources that are peer-reviewed such as Medline and ETHXWeb can be valuable tools to help identify the needs of one’s specific population. This data is generally inexpensive, easier to obtain, usually summarized, and requires less
References: Fitzhugh, E. C. (2012). mms://mediasrv1.ccs.ua.edu/CCS-AO2/HHE667-2/module4/667_Video_8.wmv McKenzie, J. F., Neiger, B. L., & Thackeray, R. (2009). Planning, implementing, and evaluating health promotion programs: A primer (5th ed.). San Francisco: Benjamin Cummings.