Community Assessment and Analysis

Community Assessment and Analysis

Community assessment and analysis systematically identify gaps between current community health and the desired conditions. It gives organizations and agencies comprehensive information about community health needs and informs them on strategies for addressing them. This paper details a community assessment for Pikesville, MD, through the lens of a Nursing officer practicing in the region. It summarizes interview findings with the nurse and identifies an apparent healthcare issue.

Description of Community and Community Boundaries

Pikesville is a census-designated area in Baltimore County, Maryland. The population of Pikesville, per the 2010 census, was 30 764. In addition, this region contains the largest population of Jews in Maryland. Whites constitute the majority, accounting for over 75%. Other groups include African Americans, Native Americans, Asians, Hispanics, and Pacific Islanders. The median income of households in Pikesville is 58,989 dollars, and 78,002 dollars for families. Pikesville is generally financially healthy, with only 6% of its residents living below the poverty line.

Further, many schools also serve the region, accounting for its high literacy levels. Jews and Judaism are the predominant religion in the area. Pikesville is oriented toward democrats, and the last presidential elections saw democrats garner close to 63% in the area.

Due to the predominance of the Jewish in the area, Pikesville culture is a representation of the orthodox Jewish culture. These individuals rarely engage in community gatherings except for religious events like the Jewish holidays. These holidays unite them due to their shared interest in religion and culture. Residents of Pikesville have access to quality education due to the availability of schools. The majority also have access to healthcare. The neighborhood is also relatively safe and very walkable. However, some Pikesville residents still face traditional problems of poor access to healthcare.

Summary of Community Assessments

Community health assessment of the Pikesville area gave insights into various aspects of health and wellness. Community assessment programs are public health functionalities funded by local and state governments. Partnerships with governmental agencies such as the CDC, local healthcare organizations, and the local government can also be valuable in these processes. The pattern of values and beliefs of residents of this area tends towards the Jewish values of caring, community, respect, and fairness (Weiner, 2021). This is demonstrated in their interaction and perception of others. They also have a positive perception of health and health management. Many people in the area are insured and routinely engage in health promotion activities such as screening. Elimination disorders are not common in the Pikesville area. Pikesville is an easily walkable area with a scoring rate of over 84%. This influences physical activity and exercise (Twardzik et al., 2019). Walking is popular among many residents of this area.

The prevalence of sleep/wake disorders is also low compared to other regions of Maryland and other U.S. societies. This indicates that this area generally has good sleep hygiene. The prevalence of cognitive-perceptual illnesses in Pikesville and the vast state of Maryland is relatively low, falling below the national average. The levels of self-concept or perception in the area are high. Their health-seeking behaviors demonstrate this. Many people in the region have access to good nutrition and have basic knowledge of nutritious foods and the significance of proper dieting. Personal values mainly drive the relationships of many people in the area. Prevalence of stress and coping disorders are on the rise in many U.S. societies, including Maryland neighborhoods such as Pikesville. This highlights the need for concerted efforts to manage these disorders.

Summary of Interview

The interviewee was a nursing officer working in the psychiatric clinic of one of the hospitals in Pikesville. The first interview question focused on her role (see – Appendix). Her roles are medication administration, patient handling, and coordinating community outreach programs. She reported that Pikesville residents generally have a positive perception of the healthcare system in the area and the vast state of Maryland. This is mainly attributable to the healthy hospital-community relationships and the outreach campaigns on health promotion that the hospital and the local authorities have implemented in these communities. On priority health needs, she noted that mental health issues such as depression and stress disorders have been on the rise post-COVID-19. She said the hospital works jointly with communities and other groups to address the problem.

Health Promotion Opportunity

Mental health illness has been identified in the interview as a priority care need. This is due to the rising prevalence of these illnesses, thus presenting a health promotion opportunity in this area. Singh et al. (2022) note that health promotion on mental health illnesses such as depressive and stress disorders is effective in encouraging protective factors for these disorders, which may lower their prevalence. This forms the basis for implementing health promotion programs for these disorders.

Conclusion

A community health needs assessment and analysis maintains significance in identifying healthcare issues apparent in communities. Communities in Pikesville, MD, may benefit from such programs. A community assessment of this community revealed the growing prevalence of mental health illnesses such as stress disorders and depression. This provides an opportunity for health promotion programs in these communities.

References

Singh, V., Kumar, A., & Gupta, S. (2022). Mental health prevention and promotion—A narrative review. Frontiers in Psychiatry, 13. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyt.2022.898009

Twardzik, E., Judd, S., Bennett, A., Hooker, S., Howard, V., Hutto, B., Clarke, P., & Colabianchi, N. (2019). Walk score and objectively measured physical activity within a national cohort. Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health, 73(6), 549–556. https://doi.org/10.1136/jech-2017-210245

Weiner, J. (2021). Jewish values in medical decision-making for unrepresented patients: A ritualized approach. Rambam Maimonides Medical Journal. https://doi.org/10.5041/rmmj.10441

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This assignment consists of both an interview and a PowerPoint (PPT) presentation.

Assessment/Interview

Select a community of interest in your region. Perform a physical assessment of the community.

Perform a direct assessment of a community of interest using the “Functional Health Patterns Community Assessment Guide.”
Interview a community health and public health provider regarding that person’s role and experiences within the community.

Interview Guidelines

Interviews can take place in person, by phone, or by Skype.

Develop interview questions to gather information about the role of the provider in the community and the health issues the chosen community faces.

Complete the “Provider Interview Acknowledgement Form” before conducting the interview. Submit this document separately in its respective drop box.

Compile key findings from the interview, including the interview questions used, and submit these with the presentation.

PowerPoint Presentation

Create a PowerPoint presentation of 15-20 slides (slide count does not include title and references slide) describing the chosen community interest.

Include the following in your presentation:

Description of community and community boundaries: the people and the geographic, geopolitical, financial, and educational level; ethnic and phenomenological features of the community, as well as types of social interactions; common goals and interests; and barriers and challenges, including any identified social determinates of health.
Summary of community assessment: (a) funding sources and (b) partnerships.
Summary of interview with community health/public health provider.
Identification of an issue that is lacking or an opportunity for health promotion.
A conclusion summarizing your key findings and discussing your impressions of the community’s general health.
While APA style is not required for the body of this assignment, solid academic writing is expected, and documentation of sources should be presented using APA formatting guidelines, which can be found in the APA Style Guide located in the Student Success Center.