Community Health Assessment

Abstract:

Community health assessment is key to understanding the health problems and priorities of a population. This case outlines a process by which the participants can complete a health assessment of a community using indicator-based methods.

Students construct a set of health indicators from a variety of domains, evaluate problems and report on the health priorities for a community. The students relate identified health issues to underlying behavioral risk factors.

Objectives:

• Perform a community health assessment
• Identify sources and limitations of population based data
• Select and appraise the utility of standards including Healthy People 2010
• Identify specific health indicators to assess the health status of a community
• Describe the priority health issues of a community
• Relate priority health issues to behavioral, social, and environmental health determinants