Community Health and Population-Focused Nursing in This Essay Example

The community assessed was Port Saint Lucie in situated in St. Lucie County in the state of Florida. The city sits on a total area of 76.7 square meters. The population of this county was estimated to be about 179, 413 people in 2015. The 2010 census identified the population of this city to be comprised of about 15.6% non-Hispanics blacks, 61.6% non-Hispanic whites, 0.8% of Hispanic blacks, 17.6% Hispanic blacks, and 5% of other minor races (Florida Department f Health, n.d).

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To effectively improve the health of a community, there is a need for one to understand their health status and factors that influence it. An assessment of the community's health needs thus helps the health professionals, residents, and community groups to come together and make improvements on the existing problems and also prioritize on activities of prevention ( Catholic Health Association of the United States, 2013). The Port Saint Lucie, Florida community in the United States has been identified to be facing various healthy needs which have emanated from various factors. This paper is going to discuss the health needs of the community of the city of Port Saint Lucie by using different assessment tools. Additionally, the paper will discuss the community resources available to address one of this problem. Finally, the paper will formulate a prevention topic on one of the identified problems.

Summary of All SIX Assessment Tools

Population Economic Status

The population economic status tool was used to find out how the socioeconomic status of the people was contributing to their health problems. This tool was employed in assessing the community needs through carrying out interviews with older adults and making observations of the people living in this community. The population economic status assessment found out that most of the people living in the city of Port Saint Lucie have a lower social-economic status, which acts as an obstacle to their access to health services.

Disaster Assessment and Planning

The disaster preparedness and planning guide was used to identify the anticipated disasters and the countys response to these disasters. This information was obtained from interviews with a few adults living in the city. The interview entailed questions on some of the disasters which had happened in the past and how the government was responding to them. From the documents and the interviews, it was found out that the disaster preparedness and planning guide for the city has taken into consideration the morbidity of the population in its disaster response preparedness.

Community Safety Inventory

The community safety inventory tool was employed to determine some of the psychosocial and physical health hazards the community may be facing. The tool was employed through the use of focused group interviews, informants, and observation in collecting data. From the assessment, it was found out that some people were experiencing higher levels of stress that either originated from the environment or their inability to meet some of their need due to a lower socioeconomic status.

Cultural Assessment

The cultural assessment tool was used to find the correlation between the culture of the people and the health problems the community was facing. Data was collected from this assessment tool through interviews and questionnaires. It was found out that some of the people in this community still adhered to their traditional foods whereas others frequented fast foods joints. This information thus pointed to poor nutrition adopted by some individuals from this community to be a contributing factor for their health problems.

Windshield Survey

The windshield survey was carried out to identify the environment and the lifestyle of the people living in this community to find how it might be contributing to their health problems. From the survey that was conducted by walking and driving through the community, it is evident that most of the residents are obese as this was observed from their overweight physique. Additionally, many people are physically inactive as there were few people that were seen either exercising or walking on the lanes.

Scavenger Hunt

The scavenger hunt was conducted to identify the lifestyle of the people living in this community. This was carried out by writing down of some identified characteristics and observing how the community was exercising or had portrayed them. The identified characteristics were on obesity and engagement in exercises. It was observed that few people in the city engaged in physical exercises in the morning or evening. Additionally, there was a high prevalence of people with obesity in this community.

B1. Interpretation of Collected Data/Other Epidemiological Data

From the data collected from the assessment tools, the following can be noted about the community of Port Saint Lucie Florida. High levels of mortality and morbidity originate from cardiovascular diseases and diabetes. For instance, the heart attack rate and heart failure are is 21% and 14.4% higher than the rest of the US population (Office of Disease Prevention and Promotion, 2016).

The majority of the people living in this city have a lower socioeconomic status which denies them access to health facilities most lack a health insurance. Additionally, the diet of some of the people living in this community is dominated by either cultural or fast food diet. This tendency may be a contributing factor obesity and other lifestyle diseases such as diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Besides, it is evident that many people in this community are physically inactive as it was observed that their level of engagement in physical activities was generally low. Physical inactivity is a major cause of obesity and cardiovascular disease.

C1. Identification of Top Three Problems in the Selected Community

The top three problems the Port St Lucie community is facing as evident from the assessment tools include the following. The first problem is obesity which is a common problem among most of the individuals living in this community. The poor eating habits and minimal physical activity among this population may be the key causes of this problem. Another problem facing this community based on the healthy people 2020 goals is diabetes. The number of persons suffering from diabetes in this community is higher compared with other members of the US society. The high prevalence of the disease in this community originates from a low socioeconomic status and the dietary habits. The third top most problem facing the people of this community is cardiovascular disease. The low levels of physical activities and the poor eating habits dominated by fast foods and cultural foods that are not balanced are some of the identified contributing factors of this disease. From this finding, it is clear that there is need of carrying out health promotion activities in this community on the need of adopting a healthy lifestyle to reduce the levels of mortality and morbidity in this community.

Discussion of the Problems in Relation to Healthy People 2020 Goals

Obesity

The healthy people 2020 aims at improving the quality of life of individuals, enhancing healthcare access, and enhancing an environment that promotes good health. It also aims at promoting healthy behaviors, the quality of life, and healthy developments of all individuals in the society. To mitigate the levels of obesity among the US population, the healthy people 2020 aims at increasing physical activities and muscle-strengthening exercise among the populace. Healthy people 2020 tracks the levels of people with obesity and seeks to encourage increased muscle strengthening exercises and physical activities to promote healthy living (Office of Disease Prevention and Promotion, 2016).

HP 2020 recognizes the high rates of obesity among the blacks and Hispanic population which it identifies to be about 48.8 and 42.6% respectively. On the other hand, the levels of obesity among the white community (non-Hispanic) is stated to be about 36.4%. Additionally, HP 2020 aims at ensuring the provision of nutritious beverages and foods to schoolchildren and increasing food outlets that sell healthy foods to the population (Office of Disease Prevention and Promotion, 2016).

Diabetes

Diabetes is one of the major causes of mortality and morbidity in the US. The healthy people 2020 goal is to improve the lives of all people suffering or those who are more likely to suffer from diabetes mellitus and reduce the financial burden of the disease. According to HP 2020, diabetes is rated as the seventh cause of death among the Americans. Diabetes also leads to other health conditions such as kidney failure and increased risks of heart disease. HP 2020 emphasizes on improved quality of care, prevention, testing and access to care as the main ways through which diabetes can be reduced among the population (Office of Disease Prevention and Promotion, 2014).

Cardiovascular Disease

Healthy people 2020 goal on cardiovascular disease is to minimize the levels of this disease among the US population. HP 2020 asserts that stroke and heart disease are more prevalent in the US and the leading causes of death among the US population. Additionally, the US incurs huge financial resources in their treatment and related expenses. For instance, studies identify a stroke as the third cause of most deaths that occur in the US. In spite of their adverse effects, these diseases can be easily prevented. Controlling the risk factors of cardiovascular disease such as cigarette smoking, overweight, and high blood pressure are instrumental in controlling complications that originate from this disease according to HP 2020. To improve the quality of life HP 2020 emphasizes on prevention, early detection, and treatment (Office of Disease Prevention and Promotion, 2014).

Community Resources that are Available at Port Saint Lucie to Address Diabetes

Community resources available to address diabetes in Port Saint Lucie include Diabetes Mellitus Center. The center aims at providing exceptional patient-centered care to diabetes patients. The center provides diverse services to people suffering from diabetes mellitus to help improve their health conditions and the quality of life. Some of the services provided by the center include the provision of a health library where information on diabetes can be accessed easily to help people make informed choices on prevention and cure of the condition (St. Lucie Medical Centre, 2016).

The educational program provided by Saint Lucie medical center is another community resource that addresses diabetes. The program is aimed at helping those facing difficulties in managing their conditions and individuals who have been diagnosed recently with the disease. Some of the services provided include telephone follow-up, review classes, and teaching those suffering from the condition on how to understand the medications. The program assists those people suffering from diabetes to control their diabetes through self-management skills (Cylex, 2016).

Another community resource is Florida Department of Health. The Florida department of health wellness program provides information that is vital in the treatment and control of diabetes among the people living in the city of Port Saint Lucie. Diabetes self-management is one of the services provided by the department. The service empowers those suffering from the condition to take control and be in charge of their own health. Port St. Lucie Clinic is one of the facilities that provide these services to the people living in this community. the department also offers another program named as new deal diabetes program. The program aims at reducing mortality and morbidity that is brought about by diabetes. The program seeks to achieve these through awareness, education, and leadership ( Florida Department f Health, n.d).

Moreover, Defeat Diabetes Foundation is another community resource that addresses diabetes at Port Saint Lucie. The foundation is based in Florida and aims at eradicating diabetes through education, awareness, and assistance programs. The organization mission is early identification, prevention, and self-management of diabetes among those affected and those at risk. The visio, on the other hand, is empowerment and self-care for a more productive life (Defeat Diabetes Foundation, n.d).

Finally, the American Diabetes Association is another community resource that addresses the problem of diabetes in this community. American Diabetes Association aims at fighting the consequences and promoting healthy standards among people who are affected by the condition as one way of stopping diabetes in the community. The association seeks to achieve these objectives by undertaking the following. They fund research on management, cure, prevention of diabetes. Additionally, they provide services to communities which are characterized by high numbers of those affected by the condition. Moreover, they provide varied information that is credible and objective about the condition. Finally, the association advocates for the rights of persons who are suffering from diabetes whose rights have been denied (The American Diabetes Association, 2016).

Primary Prevention Topic based on Problem Identified

The primary prevention topic formulated is Change of behavior as a preventive measure to diabetes in Port Saint Lucie, Florida.

Conclusion

The above discussion and information help in identifying the needs and the assets of the city of Port Saint Lucie, Florida. The information is crucial in helping a nurse carry out health promotion and prioritize the activities of prevention. The top three problems identified from health assessment of the community of Port St. Lucie include diabetes, obesity, and cardiovascular disease. Having identified the health needs of the community, it is thus easier to improve the health standards of these individuals to ensure quality living.

References

American Diabetes Association. (2016). About us. Retrieved from https://www.google.com/webhp?sourceid=chrome-instant&ion=1&espv=2&ie=UTF-8#q=community+health+needs+of+Port+St.+Lucie+Florida

Assessing and addressing community health needs. (2013). The Catholic Health Association of the United States. Retrieved from https://www.chausa.org/docs/default-source/general-files/cb_assessingaddressing-pdf.pdf?sfvrsn=4

Defeat Diabetes Foundation. (n.d). Defeat Diabetes Foundation mission. Retrieved from http://www.defeatdiabetes.org/who-we-are/mission/

Diabetes. (n.d). Florida Department of Health. Retrieved from http://www.floridahealth.gov/diseases-and-conditions/diabetes/

Nutrition, physical activity, and obesity. (2016). Office of Disease Prevention and Promotion. Retrieved from https://www.healthypeople.gov/2020/leading-health-indicators/2020-lhi-topics/Nutrition-Physical-Activity-and-Obesity/data

Obesity. (2014). Office of Disease Prevention and Promotion. Retrieved from https://www.healthypeople.gov/2020/topics-objectives/topic/diabetes

St Lucie Medical Center: Diabetes education program. (2016). Cylex. Retrieve...