A comprehensive community assessment will help you identify:A comprehensive community assessment will help you identify: The problems you would like to

• A comprehensive community assessment will A comprehensive community assessment will help you identify:help you identify:

• The problems you would like to address in your community;

• Where those problems occur;

• Which youth and families are most affected by those problems; and

• What resources and strengths your community has to address those problems.

• Basic Premise of Community Level Change StrategiesBasic Premise of Community Level Change Strategies

• “Change will more likely to be successful and permanent when the people it affects are involved in initiating and promoting it”

• Community Mobilization• Community organization / mobilization is a planned

process to activate a community to use its own social structures and any available resources (internal or external) to accomplish community goals, decided primarily by community representatives and consistent with local values.

• Working in Community• There is continuum of community work ranging from what

some might call “pure” community development (the community decides the issue and solution - may ask for outside “expert” advice) to more mixed methods in which there is some combination of community and “expert” input.

• No matter where on the continuum our project falls, we must• Involve the community as much as possible throughout the

process• Listen to community concerns and respond to them• Work with the community to assess the present situation

• Asset Mapping

• All communities have assets

• These may be thought of as:

• Located in the community, under community control

• Located in the community, under outside control

• Located outside the community

• Located in the community - community controlLocated in the community - community control• Individual Assets• Skills, talents and experience of residents• Individual businesses• Home-based enterprises• Personal income• Gifts of labeled people• Private and non-profit organizations• Higher education institutions• Hospitals• Social service agencies• Physical Resources:• Vacant land• Vacant structures• Vacant housing• Energy and waste resources

• Social Assessment

• The Social Assessment is the “process of determining people’s perceptions of their own needs or quality of life, and their aspirations for the common good, through broad participation and the application of multiple information-gathering activities designed to expand understanding g of the community”.

• Requires data form several sources

• Requires community participation

• What are some objective indicators of quality of life?What are some objective indicators of quality of life?

• Unemployment rates

• School drop-out rates

• Income levels

• Violent occurrences

• The subjective assessment of quality of life is as important.

• It gives us a view of the situation through the eyes of the community.

• Epidemiological Assessment• Which health problem are important (objectively measure)• Which behavioral and environmental factors contribute to the

health problem

• Most common indicators• Mortality• Morbidity• Disability• Discomfort• Dissatisfaction• Life expectancy• Fitness• Years of potential life lost

• Risk factors translate into disease, disability, and death—collectively referred to as the “burden of disease.” Addressing risky behaviors rather than specific diseases is cost-effective because one risk factor can result in or worsen several diseases.

• For example, tobacco causes or contributes to lung cancer, ischemic heart disease, diabetes, and cerebrovascular disease.

• Undernutrition is an underlying cause of disease resulting in an estimated 60% of child deaths; cervical cancer; and unsafe pregnancies, abortions, and births.

• Alcohol abuse contributes to brain impairment, including fetal alcohol syndrome, cirrhosis and cancer of the liver, and death and injuries from violence & accidents.

• Health Promotion Means Changing Behavior Health Promotion Means Changing Behavior at Multiple Levelsat Multiple Levels

A. Individual: knowledge, attitudes, beliefs, personality

B. Interpersonal: family, friends, peersC. Community: social networks, standards,

normsD. Institutional: rules, policies, informal

structuresE. Public Policy: local policies related to healthy

practices

How Do You Conduct a Community AssessmentHow Do You Conduct a Community Assessment??

• While the idea of conducting a community assessment may seem like a lot of work, it actually follows a straightforward process. This guide will walk you through that process and provide you with tools to make things a bit easier.

• Remember, this is not something you should do alone. Building a community partnership comes first. Bring together people who have an interest in youth, will provide ongoing leadership, and will be champions for this effort.

• These people may include your elected officials, faith and community leaders, local business owners, schools, law enforcement officials, volunteer organizations, service agencies, media representatives, and, most importantly, families and youth themselves. Take advantage of existing community resources and bring together people with different views, experiences, and skills.

http://www.findyouthinfo.gov/cf_pages/formingpartnerships.htm

• Also, be aware that people are most successful in changing their lives only when they are truly ready to change. The same is true for communities.

• Take some time to determine whether your community is ready to take action on behalf of its young people. As you build your partnership and conduct an assessment, keep an eye on the feedback you receive.

• There are many factors to determine readiness, such as the community’s support, the scope and size of the problem, and the resources you have to draw on.

• As a result of your assessment, you may find that your community is ready to move ahead, or you may identify areas to work on before you can launch your initiative for youth.

Step 1: Establish the What, Where, and Who

Step 2: Learn More About the What, Where, & Who

Step 3: Identify Resources in Your Community

Step 4: Analyze and Learn From the Data You’ve Collected

Step 5: Develop a Plan of Action

Step 6: Share What You’ve Learned

Step 1: Establish the What, Where, & WhoStep 1: Establish the What, Where, & Who

• Once you have formed a community partnership, establish specific goals for your work. While we may wish to address every issue in every neighborhood, you will be most successful if you narrow your focus.

• To make sure all your partners are pulling in the same direction, spend some time talking about the “what, where, and who” of your project.

• As part of this step, don’t forget to talk to youth. What are their concerns? Where do they think you should concentrate your efforts? Once you have come to some consensus, you will have a better idea of what data you need to collect.

• This process doesn’t always go as planned. You may start out thinking you want to do something in one area, but as you learn more, you may realize the root of the problem lies elsewhere.

• That’s why it is important to collect data up front and assess where & how you can be the most productive.

• Otherwise, you may end up wasting precious resources on something that isn’t really the problem you thought it was or that some other group is already addressing.

Step 1: Establish the What, Where, & WhoStep 1: Establish the What, Where, & Who• So, where do you start? Often the toughest question is what to

focus on. Even though it may have been a specific event that brought you together, many concerns & issues are interconnected.

• Violence and substance abuse, for example, can go hand in hand. It can be very hard to separate some issues, but your partnership will need to narrow its focus.

• It is helpful to do some reading about youth, family, and community issues. Spend some time learning about youth risk and protective factors.

• These factors either increase young people’s risk for, or protect them from, problems such as abusing drugs or engaging in delinquent behavior. Later you will be selecting programs that have been shown to be effective in addressing specific factors.

Step 1: Establish the What, Where, & WhoStep 1: Establish the What, Where, & Who

• It can be hard to measure the incidence of certain risk factors. For example, if you say you are concerned about the risk factor of family violence, you may actually need to collect data on the number of protective orders written in your community. In research terms, we call these more concrete measures “indicators.” Your coalition will want to identify indicators and potential data sources to measure those indicators.

• This activity will enable you to identify which risk or protective factors in your community may be influencing youth behavior.

• Below you will find some examples of common indicators that will assist you in answering the what, where, and who you will want to plan strategies around.

• Indicators of concern to your partnershipIndicators of concern to your partnership

• Child abuse and neglect

• Youth violence

• Placement of children and youth in foster care facilities

• Underage smoking

• Graduation rates

• Unemployment rate

• Where would you like to concentrate your efforts?Where would you like to concentrate your efforts?• City or town block • Neighborhood • City or town • County

• Who? Is there a specific population you would like to focus on?Who? Is there a specific population you would like to focus on?• Youth ages 10-19 • Low-income families • Single-parent families • Families with children • Families with different education levels • Families with varying employment statuses

Step 2: Learn More About the What, Where, & WhoStep 2: Learn More About the What, Where, & Who

• After you have established specific goals for your work, you’ll need to gather as much information on the issue or population you’re addressing as you can.

• The first thing to do is use the online mapping tool. The online mapping tool will provide census data about your community, help you see where the people you would most like to serve live in your community, & show you what Federal resources are already available.

http://www.findyouthinfo.gov/landmap.aspx

• Unfortunately, online mapping tool can’t provide you all the information you will need about your community. Some of that will need to come from your own research. Form a small working group to take on this job.

• Involve people who have expertise & experience in data collection—perhaps someone from a college or university in your community or from a local service agency.

• Remember that others in your community may have already done some data collection. Look around and see what results of surveys, focus groups, community forums, or other data are already available to you.

• How has the information been summarized and made available to the public? What does the information tell you about local problems, issues, and resources?

• Looking at this material may also help you assess how ready your community is to take the next step.

• If you have to start from scratch, it is often easiest to begin by gathering data from available sources, such as public records from your local health department, school district, chamber of commerce, and police department.

• If you click on the risk and protective factors list in the background section, it will give you indicators for each risk factor, followed by great examples of where you might find data on these items..

• You may decide that you want to collect new data through surveys, focus groups, & interviews. Because no single data source can provide a complete picture, try to use more than one.

• Each report or piece of information you review can provide a different perspective. By drawing from multiple sources, you can look for areas of overlap and improve the accuracy of your assessment.

Step 3: Identify Resources in the CommunityStep 3: Identify Resources in the Community

• While you may have come to this tool because your community is facing some big challenges, you shouldn’t forget that there are many resources in your community that already exist to help you address these challenges.

• Look for community organizations and individuals who work on the problems you are interested in addressing.

• As you become aware of these resources, make every effort to include these groups in your planning process.

• It is often a good idea to involve youth. They often have the inside track on the organizations and people who are most supportive of their needs and concerns. In some communities, youth have undertaken a process called youth mapping, where they have developed their own maps of resources.

• As a second step, you should develop a Community Resource Inventory.

http://www.findyouthinfo.gov/cf_pages/assessment-youthmapping.htm

http://www.findyouthinfo.gov/cf_pages/communityresourceinventory.cfm

• A Community Resource Inventory will help you identify and keep track of:

• The services & programs that exist in your community (faith-based services, voluntary organizations/programs, etc.);

• The financial resources your community has (Federal and State grant funding, foundation or for-profit funding, nonprofit funds, donations, etc.);

• The material resources your community has (e.g., technological resources, equipment, office space and supplies);

• The human resources your community has (e.g., staff, volunteers, champions); and

• The training and technical assistance that is needed and available and how to access these resources.

Step 4: Analyze and Learn From the Data You’ve CollectedStep 4: Analyze and Learn From the Data You’ve Collected

• Spend some time analyzing the data so that you know how to proceed. It may be helpful to partner with the local school district, hospital, college, university, or community planning agency to assist with this data analysis. These institutions often have trained staff who can analyze the information you have collected.

• When you analyze the data, decide which issues need to be addressed together and which problems might have different causes or lie beyond your current reach.

• When completed, your analysis will provide a current view of the issues (indicators) you would like to address in your community.


• Next, determine if the resources in your community are adequate to address the problems identified. Be aware that just because resources exist, they may not be adequate to achieve the outcomes you want.

• Go to the Community Resource Inventory and identify your local resources by zip code or by risk factor. Are these the kinds of resources you need to address the issues you are facing?

http://www.findyouthinfo.gov/cf_pages/communityresourceinventory.cfm


• Here are a few questions to help you organize your analysis:

• What youth/community problems can be identified based on the data?

• What are the strengths of the community in addressing these problems?

• What geographic areas are most affected by these problems?

• How did the data compare with your initial perception of the problems?

• How did the data change your understanding of these problems?

• What are the underlying factors that contribute to these problems (what risk factors are most prominent)?

• What are the underlying factors that can help solve these problems (what protective factors are most available to help)?

• What additional data do you need to better understand the scope of these problems?

http://www.findyouthinfo.gov/cf_pages/programtool-factors.cfm#riskfactorsanchor

http://www.findyouthinfo.gov/cf_pages/programtool-factors.cfm#protectivefactorsanchor

Step 5: Develop a Plan of ActionStep 5: Develop a Plan of Action• After you have analyzed the data, develop a plan of action based on what you

learned. This plan should identify the issues you want to address, the strategies you will use to tackle those problems, the coalition partners who can help in implementing the chosen strategies, and the outcomes you intend to achieve. Here are some questions to help guide your plan of action:

• What target population do you want to serve?

• Which indicators are you trying to change?

• Which organizations and programs are already in place serving that need or population?

• How will your new programs fit with what is already there?

• What do you need to implement those programs (e.g., funding, training, and technical assistance)?

• Who can provide that support?

Step 5: Develop a Plan of ActionStep 5: Develop a Plan of Action• How can you determine the success of your plan?

• In developing your plan, you can use the Program Tool. You can use the data you’ve collected on indicators or the risk and protective factors you know concern you the most to help you select an appropriate program.

• It is a good idea to go back to your Community Resource Inventory to answer questions about how a newly selected program will fit with what is already there.

http://www.findyouthinfo.gov/cf_pages/programtool.cfm

Step 6: Share What You’ve LearnedStep 6: Share What You’ve Learned• Planning, implementing, and sustaining a new

community initiative requires the participation and support of the whole community.

• You have the best chance of success if you share what you’ve learned through your assessment with the greater community.

• The President and Mrs. Bush firmly believe that every American has an opportunity to help children and youth to develop in healthy ways, avoid trouble, and lead successful lives.

• You may need to help your community members better understand the issues and see how they can be part of the solution.

• Create a report of your assessment’s findings and recommendations and share it with the community by reaching out to local media, holding community forums, or advising elected officials and community leaders. Invite participation, input, or feedback, as appropriate.

Step 6: Share What You’ve LearnedStep 6: Share What You’ve Learned• Before developing your report, ask your partners:Before developing your report, ask your partners: What information should be included in the report? What will be the best format for the report? Who should lead the writing? How do we want to disseminate the information? Should we hold public forums? Who will present at

them and which information should be presented? Who is the audience for the dissemination? Who from the larger community needs to be involved

in the dissemination (e.g., parents, community leaders)?

Community assessment report outlineCommunity assessment report outline::• Introduction: State why you performed an assessment. Tell what you set

out to do and how you went about doing it. Summarize the information that you have to share.

• Key Findings: Present the major findings from your assessment and the central problems that emerged.

• Additional Factors: Present the associated risks that were identified. Speak about the community perceptions that will need to be considered in addressing these problems.

• Strengths and Resources: Map out the resources that are available in the community to address these issues.

• Action Plan: Lay out your plan of action. The plan should include, as specifically & comprehensively as possible, the strategies you will implement to address the needs you uncovered.

• Measures of Success: Propose the ways you will determine the success of the implementation of your plan.

• Challenges: Identify the challenges to be addressed in order for this effort to be a success.

• Conclusions: Present your conclusions, and invite your audience to get involved.

• A healthy community is one in which residents are happy with their choices of location and which exhibit characteristics that would braw others to be location. The majority of community residents are relatively functional for their age and health status.

• Communities of PlaceCommunities of Place: Defined by distinct boundaries and bound by a common political, economic and social system.

• Communities of InterestCommunities of Interest: A group of individuals that share common interests, goals, or knowledge about something.

• Community Needs AssessmentCommunity Needs Assessment. A way of gauging opinions, assumptions, needs, key issues, and/or assets within a defined community.

04/19/23 Najwa Mohmd CHN 40

Components of Healthy CommunitiesComponents of Healthy Communities Low crimes ratesLow crimes rates Good schoolsGood schools Strong family lifeStrong family life Robust economy, good jobsRobust economy, good jobs High environmental quality "clean air, water"High environmental quality "clean air, water" Accessible & quality health servicesAccessible & quality health services Adequate housingAdequate housing Civic involvementCivic involvement Nice weatherNice weather Good transportation "roads, public transportation"Good transportation "roads, public transportation" Wide variety of leisure activitiesWide variety of leisure activities Exposure to the artsExposure to the arts Reasonable taxesReasonable taxes


COMMUNIY ASSESSMENT: COMMUNIY ASSESSMENT: APPLICATION TO COMMUNITY\ APPLICATION TO COMMUNITY\

PUBLIC HEALTH NURSING PUBLIC HEALTH NURSING PRACTICEPRACTICE


• Eight subsystems: physical environment, educations safety & transportation, politics and government, health & social services, communication, economics, & recreation


Needs Assessment: Why do itNeeds Assessment: Why do it??

1.1. Identify community needs, concerns & issuesIdentify community needs, concerns & issues

2.2. Target outreach programsTarget outreach programs

3.3. Empower grass-roots Action around needsEmpower grass-roots Action around needs

4.4. Determine if needs have changed?Determine if needs have changed?

5.5. Collect communities hopes/ dreams/ desiresCollect communities hopes/ dreams/ desires


Community Assessment ToolsCommunity Assessment Tools

Focus Group Interview Focus Group Interview

Public Issues Forum Public Issues Forum

Secondary Data Analysis Secondary Data Analysis

Community Survey Community Survey Questionnaire Questionnaire

InterviewsInterviews

Asset MappingAsset Mapping


Focus Group InterviewFocus Group Interview

The focus group is a way to gather the The focus group is a way to gather the opinions/ ideas from opinions/ ideas from a small, targeted group a small, targeted group of citizens. of citizens.

The intention of focus groups is perhaps more The intention of focus groups is perhaps more to build a synergy of thoughts & ideasto build a synergy of thoughts & ideas than it than it is to make projections about the community is to make projections about the community


AdvantagesAdvantages DisadvantagesDisadvantages

easy to conducteasy to conduct

Provides detailed Provides detailed informationinformation

allows for issue probingallows for issue probing

stimulates thinking & stimulates thinking & discussion discussion

ideas generated not ideas generated not

necessarily prevalentnecessarily prevalent

small sample for effortsmall sample for effort

difficult to analyzedifficult to analyze

quiet folks suppressedquiet folks suppressed

requires participation requires participation


Public Issues ForumPublic Issues Forum

• Community forums are public meetings Community forums are public meetings that involve residents to express their that involve residents to express their concerns about community issues, concerns about community issues, problems, & needs. problems, & needs.



• Diverse members can Diverse members can share ideasshare ideas

• Provides quick look at Provides quick look at community issuescommunity issues

• involves local citizensinvolves local citizens• inexpensive inexpensive

• requires skill/ timerequires skill/ time• opinions obtained only opinions obtained only

from those who attendfrom those who attend• may generate more may generate more

questions or conflict questions or conflict


Secondary Data Analysis

• Secondary data is data that is collected about a Secondary data is data that is collected about a particular audience without having direct particular audience without having direct contact with that audience. contact with that audience.

• It can often provide insight about emerging It can often provide insight about emerging trends or issues in a particular communitytrends or issues in a particular community ..



• data already existsdata already exists

• fast & easy to accessfast & easy to access

• data available for data available for many geographic many geographic levelslevels

• representative sample representative sample may not be accuratemay not be accurate

• gaps in datagaps in data

• requires inferencesrequires inferences• Lack of Data RichnessLack of Data Richness


Community SurveyCommunity Survey

• Community surveys help one to gather Community surveys help one to gather information about local attitudes regarding information about local attitudes regarding precisely defined issues, problems or precisely defined issues, problems or opportunities. Surveys may be open ended or opportunities. Surveys may be open ended or multiple choice.multiple choice.



• wide distributionwide distribution

• good for data good for data analysisanalysis

• strong sample of the strong sample of the populationpopulation

• expensiveexpensive

• requires skill/ timerequires skill/ time

• suffers low return suffers low return raterate

• poor qualitativepoor qualitative tooltool


InterviewsInterviews

• An interview is a conversation with a purpose, An interview is a conversation with a purpose, designed to help you gather information about designed to help you gather information about people assumptions/ perceptions of activities people assumptions/ perceptions of activities in your community. in your community.

• They are useful when looking for in-depth They are useful when looking for in-depth information on a particular topicinformation on a particular topic


DisadvantagesDisadvantages• detailed informationdetailed information• allows for allows for

clarification/ follow clarification/ follow up on questionsup on questions

• personal contact personal contact

builds rapporbuilds rapportt

AdvantagesAdvantages

• Time-consumingTime-consuming• requires skill/ timerequires skill/ time• Information is hard to Information is hard to

summarizesummarize• Little quantitative valueLittle quantitative value


Developing and Asking Interview QuestionsDeveloping and Asking Interview Questions• Don’t ask defensive questions.Don’t ask defensive questions.

• Avoid the two-in-one question.Avoid the two-in-one question.

• Avoid complex questions.Avoid complex questions.

• Keep it shortKeep it short

Presenting the DataPresenting the Data

• Clear and ConciseClear and Concise

• Combine numbers with text & graphicsCombine numbers with text & graphics

• Focuses on most important findingsFocuses on most important findings

• Don’t try to put too much in itDon’t try to put too much in it


Perspective on the Perspective on the Health of Health of

Communities in Communities in Selected Nursing Selected Nursing

TheoriesTheories


Dorothy JohnsonDorothy JohnsonSuccessful community functioning & Successful community functioning & adjusting to adjusting to environmental factorsenvironmental factors

Sister Callista RoySister Callista Roy Effectiveness of the community in accomplishing its Effectiveness of the community in accomplishing its functions and functions and adapting to external stimuli adapting to external stimuli

Imogene KingImogene King Quality interactions between individuals, groups, & the Quality interactions between individuals, groups, & the entire community entire community that contribute to community functioning that contribute to community functioning and development and development

Betty NewmanBetty Newman Competence of the community to function & Competence of the community to function & maintain maintain balance & harmony in the presence of stressors balance & harmony in the presence of stressors

Jean WatsonJean Watson A healthy community in a holistic community, one which is A healthy community in a holistic community, one which is able to able to integrate social and personal resources integrate social and personal resources & capacities & capacities to attain or maintain health for its membersto attain or maintain health for its members


• Goals of communities vary with the type of Goals of communities vary with the type of community, but in general they are focused on community, but in general they are focused on maximizing the well being of members, maximizing the well being of members, promoting survival, and meeting the needs of promoting survival, and meeting the needs of the community.the community.

• The CHN can assess the goals of the The CHN can assess the goals of the community by asking questions such as, "What community by asking questions such as, "What is the purpose of the community?is the purpose of the community?

GoalsGoals


Set factorsSet factors

Are the physical, biologic, and psychosocial Are the physical, biologic, and psychosocial characteristics of the community. characteristics of the community.

These characteristics are often referred to as These characteristics are often referred to as demographics & are not easily changeddemographics & are not easily changed ..


Physical characteristicsPhysical characteristics. It includes:. It includes:

(1) the length of time the community has been in (1) the length of time the community has been in existence. existence.

(2) Pertinent demographic data about the community's (2) Pertinent demographic data about the community's members (e.g., age, race, sex. ethnicity, housing, members (e.g., age, race, sex. ethnicity, housing, density of populationsdensity of populations

(3) physical features of the community that influence (3) physical features of the community that influence behavior.behavior.


• A very new community may have A very new community may have few services few services simply simply because the supply hasn’t caught up with the demand.because the supply hasn’t caught up with the demand.

• On the other hand, communities that have been in On the other hand, communities that have been in existence for a long time may have many existence for a long time may have many resourcesresources, , or they may have resources that reflect past population or they may have resources that reflect past population needs but not the current needsneeds but not the current needs

• Pertinent demographic data such as Pertinent demographic data such as age, race, sex, age, race, sex, ethnicity, & density of the population ethnicity, & density of the population have have significant meaning in the planning of health care and significant meaning in the planning of health care and services.services.


Physical features of the community can influence the Physical features of the community can influence the community's behaviors. community's behaviors.

A community with fences around all houses A community with fences around all houses demonstrates a value of privacy and may imply little demonstrates a value of privacy and may imply little social interaction or the presence of dogs or pools.social interaction or the presence of dogs or pools.

A school with open classrooms influences the A school with open classrooms influences the interaction among students.interaction among students.


• Psychosocial Characteristics:Psychosocial Characteristics:

1.1. ReligionReligion

2.2. SES level; SES level; poverty reduces access to health poverty reduces access to health care services and increases health risks.care services and increases health risks.

3.3. Educational level; Educational level; higher education levels higher education levels are associated with higher rates of preventive are associated with higher rates of preventive health behaviors.health behaviors.

4.4. Occupation; Occupation; a person's livelihood may a person's livelihood may influence the risk of disease or injury.influence the risk of disease or injury.


Asset-Based Community DevelopmentAsset-Based Community Development

Step 1

Form a Steering Committee

Step 3

Identify your Community

Step 2

Commit Resources

Step 4

Decide on Inventory Method

Step 6

Develop Resource List

Step 7

Cross Reference Needs with Assets

Step 8

Identify Opportunities & Mobilize Community

Step 5

Administer Asset Assessment Tool


External Influences (Inputs)External Influences (Inputs)• Inputs are matter, energy & information that come from outside Inputs are matter, energy & information that come from outside

the community- that is from the supra-system. the community- that is from the supra-system.

• MoneyMoney: Outside sources would include taxes state or federal : Outside sources would include taxes state or federal funds, contributions grants, or endowmentsfunds, contributions grants, or endowments

• FacilitiesFacilities: health care facilities such as : health care facilities such as hospitals, health hospitals, health maintenance organizations, nursing homes, home care agencies maintenance organizations, nursing homes, home care agencies and clinics that promote safety and transportationand clinics that promote safety and transportation

• Human servicesHuman services: These resources may be formal or informal. : These resources may be formal or informal. E.g. formal human services include E.g. formal human services include professional resources, professional resources, nurses, physicians, nurses, physicians,

• Health InformationHealth Information: Communicated through printed matter, : Communicated through printed matter, radio, & televisions or person-to-person. If the supra-system radio, & televisions or person-to-person. If the supra-system has helpful information but doesn’t have an effective to has helpful information but doesn’t have an effective to communicate this information communicate this information


CommunicationCommunication

The goal of the communication subsystem is to provide The goal of the communication subsystem is to provide identity & support to its members-that is, to provide a sense identity & support to its members-that is, to provide a sense of belonging. People in the community offer group of belonging. People in the community offer group participation in exchange for support and identity from the participation in exchange for support and identity from the communitycommunity

Emotional tone is communicated through nonverbal and Emotional tone is communicated through nonverbal and verbal communication.verbal communication.

Nonverbal communication. What personality or emotional Nonverbal communication. What personality or emotional tone is communicated to you when you visit the community?tone is communicated to you when you visit the community?

Verbal communication. Who communicates with whom? Is Verbal communication. Who communicates with whom? Is communication horizontal or vertical?communication horizontal or vertical?

..


• Values.Values. The goal of the values subsystem is to The goal of the values subsystem is to provide guidelines for behaviorprovide guidelines for behavior. .

• This component addresses the general orienting This component addresses the general orienting principles that guide the socialization & principles that guide the socialization & behavior of members of the communitybehavior of members of the community


Outputs (Health Behavior & Health Status)Outputs (Health Behavior & Health Status)

• Outputs include measurable, health-related behaviors that are Outputs include measurable, health-related behaviors that are exchanged from the community to the environment & are exchanged from the community to the environment & are often referred to as often referred to as health statushealth status. .

• The health status of the community includes two interrelated The health status of the community includes two interrelated factors: people & environment. Identifying trends, or health factors: people & environment. Identifying trends, or health behaviorsbehaviors

Dependency ratioDependency ratio = = Population under > 18 years + population > 65 yrsPopulation under > 18 years + population > 65 yrs Population of persons between 18 and 65 yearsPopulation of persons between 18 and 65 years


People FactorPeople Factor

1)1) Growth trendsGrowth trends2)2) MorbidityMorbidity3)3) Trends in mortalityTrends in mortality 4)4) Vulnerable aggregates and risky behaviorVulnerable aggregates and risky behavior5)5) Prevalence of presymptomatic illnessPrevalence of presymptomatic illness6)6) Level of social functioningLevel of social functioning

7)7) Disabilities and impairmentsDisabilities and impairments


• Environment FactorsEnvironment Factors: the physical & the : the physical & the social environment. Indicators of the health social environment. Indicators of the health status of the physical environment include the status of the physical environment include the air, food air, food

• The nurse gets to know the community, its The nurse gets to know the community, its people, its history, and its culture through the people, its history, and its culture through the assessment process. A thorough and accurate assessment process. A thorough and accurate assessment provides the foundation for assessment provides the foundation for diagnoses and for planning appropriate nursing diagnoses and for planning appropriate nursing interventions.interventions.

Health Promotion Tools

• Mass media

• Social marketing

• Community mobilization

• Health education

• Client-provider interactions

• Policy communication


Models of Community AssessmentModels of Community Assessment

• Community assessment involves both subjective and Community assessment involves both subjective and objective data collection using a variety of methods. objective data collection using a variety of methods. Subjective data collection includes perceptions of the Subjective data collection includes perceptions of the commune by the nurse as well as by members of the commune by the nurse as well as by members of the community. community.

• The nurse should spend time in the community to The nurse should spend time in the community to "get & know" the people and get a sense of their "get & know" the people and get a sense of their values and believes. Through the process of values and believes. Through the process of participant observations, the nurse hopes to become participant observations, the nurse hopes to become accepted as a member of the community. accepted as a member of the community.


• This method of data collection allows the nurse This method of data collection allows the nurse to to participate in the daily life of the participate in the daily life of the communitycommunity, to make observation and to obtain , to make observation and to obtain information about the structures & influences information about the structures & influences that affect the community. that affect the community.

• The nurse should ask The nurse should ask key members or leaders key members or leaders of the communityof the community as well as "typical'' residents as well as "typical'' residents to provide further information & insight about to provide further information & insight about the community objective the community objective methods of data methods of data collectioncollection include using surveys and analyzing include using surveys and analyzing existing data, such as census information, health existing data, such as census information, health records, and other public documents.records, and other public documents.


Documents

A comprehensive community assessment will help you identify:A comprehensive community assessment will help you identify: The problems you would like to