Week – – One Discussion 1
In this first week of epidemiology, we are exploring Assessment Brief Original Custom Research Essay Pro Papers Help – Chapters 1 – 5 of Gordis. This covers a lot of information from the history of epidemiology through in-depth topics on how to appropriate evaluate disease occurrence through quantitative means. This week, you need to build a community health assessment task profile of the deficits in your community. Community Health Assessments (CHA) and Community Health Improvement Plans (CHIP) have become all the rage in health departments. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have required every health department to engage in CHIPs and CHAs as a part of their accreditation process.
There are robust sets of aggregated data out there both in raw form that you can download and manipulate on your own or in a pre-digested mode that has already been summarized and provided for you. Some resources that you may find helpful:
• Kids Data
• CHIS
• County Health Rankings
• BRFSS
• CDC Wonder
• YBRSS
You can use as many or as few of the above resources as you want, or you can use Journals and other data sources to help you meet this requirement.
In this discussion, you are going to assess a community of your choosing (County SAN DIEGO or State level CALIFORNIA) and select two areas in which they have poor data outcomes. You will then compare either the County to the State or the State to the Nation UNITED STATES to build your evidence that there is an issue. This post must contain some measurement of epidemiology in some fashion. It cannot be subjective and it must be based on rates, ratios or some other type of quantitative measure. The initial post must be between 350 – 500 words, APA FORMAT.
A community health assessment task profile of the deficits in San Diego County, California.
San Diego County is a large and diverse county with a population of over 3 million people. The county is home to a wide range of socioeconomic and racial/ethnic groups, and this diversity is reflected in its health outcomes.
According to the 2021 Community Health Assessment (CHA) for San Diego County, the two areas with the poorest data outcomes are obesity and mental health.
Obesity: The CHA found that nearly 40% of adults in San Diego County are obese, which is significantly higher than the national average of 36%. Obesity is a major risk factor for a number of chronic diseases, including heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes, and some types of cancer.
Mental health: The CHA found that nearly one in five adults in San Diego County experiences mental illness each year. Mental illness is a major public health problem that can lead to a number of negative consequences, including decreased productivity, increased risk of suicide, and increased use of healthcare services.
The CHA also found that there are significant disparities in health outcomes between different racial/ethnic groups in San Diego County. For example, the prevalence of obesity is significantly higher among African Americans and Hispanics than it is among whites. Similarly, the prevalence of mental illness is significantly higher among African Americans, Hispanics, and Native Americans than it is among whites.
These disparities are likely due to a number of factors, including socioeconomic status, access to healthcare, and discrimination.
The CHA recommends a number of strategies to address the health challenges facing San Diego County, including:
Promoting healthy eating and physical activity: The CHA recommends that the county invest in programs and initiatives that promote healthy eating and physical activity. These programs could include school-based health education, community-based walking and biking programs, and workplace wellness programs.
Expanding access to healthcare: The CHA recommends that the county expand access to healthcare, particularly for low-income and uninsured residents. This could be done by expanding Medicaid, increasing the number of community health centers, and providing subsidies for health insurance premiums.
Addressing social determinants of health: The CHA recommends that the county address the social determinants of health, such as poverty, housing, and education. These factors can have a significant impact on health outcomes, and addressing them can help to reduce health disparities.
The CHA is a valuable tool for understanding the health challenges facing San Diego County. – . identifying the areas with the poorest data outcomes, the CHA can help the county to develop strategies to improve the health of its residents.