Functional Health Patterns Community Assessment
My subject community is Richardson, Texas.
Address every bulleted statement in each section with data or rationale for deferral
Richardson is a community found in Texas. According to the American Community Survey, it had a population of 116, 783 as of the year 2017. Its population is 67% white Americans, 17.7% Asians, 9.7% African Americans, 0.3% Native Americans, 17.9% Hispanic Latino and 4.3% from other races.Functional Health Patterns Community Assessment The education level of the community members is as follows: less than 9th grade 5.12%, 9th-12th grade 8.5%, high school graduates 31%, college 20%, Associate degrees 9%, Bachelor degrees 14% and graduate degrees 8.13% (Richardson Tx Population, 2018). The predominant religion is Christianity with different denominations such as Methodists, Baptists, Catholics and Presbyterian. There is also a Jewish population of Jehovah witness faith among others. One of the most popular support groups in this community is Alcoholic Anonymous. The community values sports, art and family. Over the weekends, families can be seen visiting AMF Bowling center and Breckenridge Park. The latter has a huge sports complex comprising of 2 fields for softballs and 12fileds for soccer. There is also Studio Martica and Fun Asia where art and photography are done. Most members of the community spend their money on food, maintenance of their cars, education and entertainment which suggests that the funds are adequate. However, there are some homeless alcoholics who usually beg for money on the streets.
The predominant health problems in Richardson are road traffic accidents, asthma and allergies, hypertension, smoking and alcohol. Most people are immunized since it is a mandatory requirement before attending public school or college. The leading cause of deaths is cardiovascular diseases although some cases of preventable deaths from abusing opium (Walker & Crotty, 2015). From a personal perspective, I am certain the most deaths can be prevented especially skin cancers, heart diseases, road traffic accidents and deaths related to the use of drugs. A common community program within Richardson is that which helps with addition to alcohol and narcotics which liaises with the police department and mental health facilities. Methodist Richardson Medical Center is the largest healthcare institution which operated two branches: Campus for continuing care which provides acute care services and the Renner branch which is adjacent to a Cancer Center. It is a four storeys-125 bed capacity hospital with close to 900 healthcare providers and 400 physicians from more than 30 specialties. Most of the referrals are commonly made to mental healthcare facilities, cancer treatment centers and dental care.
The community has a lot of obese and overweight people which is an indicatory of unhealthy food consumption. From a medical background, it is likely that this is the major contributor to the high rates of cardiovascular diseases witnessed in this community (Walker & Crotty, 2015). Since there are different market centers, the affordability of food depends with where one decides to shop. Grocery stores in re-known supermarkets are expensive as compared to the local markets which have fresh produce from gardens. Richardson has plenty of water since it is surrounded by a Lake highland. It is also worth noting that junk foods are readily available as evidenced by vending machines in local stores, parks and movie theatres. However, foods served in school for either breakfast or lunch is healthy and this was influenced by a community obesity prevention program by the local government to meet the standards explained in the Childhood Obesity Prevention Act (Wiley et al., 2013). Functional Health Patterns Community Assessment
References
Richardson Tx Population. (2018-06-12). Retrieved 2019-03-07, from http://worldpopulationreview.com/us-cities/richardson-tx/
Walker, K. E., & Crotty, S. M. (2015). Classifying high-prevalence neighborhoods for cardiovascular disease in Texas. Applied Geography, 57, 22-31.
Wiley, D. C., James, G., Jonas, J., & Crosman, E. D. (2013). Comprehensive school health programs in Texas public schools. Journal of School Health, 61(10), 421-425.
Functional Health Patterns Community Assessment Guide
Functional Health Pattern (FHP) Template Directions:
This FHP template is to be used for organizing community assessment data in preparation for completion of the topic assignment. Address every bulleted statement in each section with data or rationale for deferral. You may also add additional bullet points if applicable to your community.
Value/Belief Pattern
Predominant ethnic and cultural groups along with beliefs related to health.
Predominant spiritual beliefs in the community that may influence health.
Availability of spiritual resources within or near the community (churches/chapels, synagogues, chaplains, Bible studies, sacraments, self-help groups, support groups, etc.).
Do the community members value health promotion measures? What is the evidence that they do or do not (e.g., involvement in education, fundraising events, etc.)?
What does the community value? How is this evident?
On what do the community members spend their money? Are funds adequate?
Health Perception/Management
Predominant health problems: Compare at least one health problem to a credible statistic (CDC, county, or state).
Immunization rates (age appropriate).
Appropriate death rates and causes, if applicable.
Prevention programs (dental, fire, fitness, safety, etc.): Does the community think these are sufficient?
Available health professionals, health resources within the community, and usage.
Common referrals to outside agencies.
Nutrition/Metabolic
Indicators of nutrient deficiencies.
Obesity rates or percentages: Compare to CDC statistics.
Affordability of food/available discounts or food programs and usage (e.g., WIC, food boxes, soup kitchens, meals-on-wheels, food stamps, senior discounts, employee discounts, etc.).
Availability of water (e.g., number and quality of drinking fountains).
Fast food and junk food accessibility (vending machines).
Evidence of healthy food consumption or unhealthy food consumption (trash, long lines, observations, etc.).
Provisions for special diets, if applicable.Functional Health Patterns Community Assessment
For schools (in addition to above):
- Nutritional content of food in cafeteria and vending machines: Compare to ARS 15-242/The Arizona Nutrition Standards (or other state standards based on residence)
- Amount of free or reduced lunch
Elimination (Environmental Health Concerns)
Common air contaminants’ impact on the community.
Noise.
Waste disposal.
Pest control: Is the community notified of pesticides usage?
Hygiene practices (laundry services, hand washing, etc.).
Bathrooms: Number of bathrooms; inspect for cleanliness, supplies, if possible.
Universal precaution practices of health providers, teachers, members (if applicable).
Temperature controls (e.g., within buildings, outside shade structures).
Safety (committee, security guards, crossing guards, badges, locked campuses).
Activity/Exercise
Community fitness programs (gym discounts, P.E., recess, sports, access to YMCA, etc.).
Recreational facilities and usage (gym, playgrounds, bike paths, hiking trails, courts, pools, etc.).
Safety programs (rules and regulations, safety training, incentives, athletic trainers, etc.).
Injury statistics or most common injuries.
Evidence of sedentary leisure activities (amount of time watching TV, videos, and computer).
Means of transportation.
Sleep/Rest
Sleep routines/hours of your community: Compare with sleep hour standards (from National Institutes of Health [NIH]).
Indicators of general “restedness” and energy levels.
Factors affecting sleep:
- Shift work prevalence of community members
- Environment (noise, lights, crowding, etc.)
- Consumption of caffeine, nicotine, alcohol, and drugs
- Homework/Extracurricular activities
- Health issues
Cognitive/Perceptual
Primary language: Is this a communication barrier?
Educational levels: For geopolitical communities, use http://www.census.gov and compare the city in which your community belongs with the national statistics.
Opportunities/Programs:
- Educational offerings (in-services, continuing education, GED, etc.)
- Educational mandates (yearly in-services, continuing education, English learners, etc.)
- Special education programs (e.g., learning disabled, emotionally disabled, physically disabled, and gifted)
Library or computer/Internet resources and usage.Functional Health Patterns Community Assessment
Funding resources (tuition reimbursement, scholarships, etc.).
Self-Perception/Self-Concept
Age levels.
Programs and activities related to community building (strengthening the community).
Community history.
Pride indicators: Self-esteem or caring behaviors.
Published description (pamphlets, Web sites, etc.).
Role/Relationship
Interaction of community members (e.g., friendliness, openness, bullying, prejudices, etc.).
Vulnerable populations:
- Why are they vulnerable?
- How does this impact health?
Power groups (church council, student council, administration, PTA, and gangs):
- How do they hold power?
- Positive or negative influence on community?
Harassment policies/discrimination policies.
Relationship with broader community:
- Police
- Fire/EMS (response time)
- Other (food drives, blood drives, missions, etc.)
Sexuality/Reproductive
Relationships and behavior among community members.
Educational offerings/programs (e.g., growth and development, STD/AIDS education, contraception, abstinence, etc.).
Access to birth control.
Birth rates, abortions, and miscarriages (if applicable).
Access to maternal child health programs and services (crisis pregnancy center, support groups, prenatal care, maternity leave, etc.).Functional Health Patterns Community Assessment
Coping/Stress
Delinquency/violence issues.
Crime issues/indicators.
Poverty issues/indicators.
CPS or APS abuse referrals: Compare with previous years.
Drug abuse rates, alcohol use, and abuse: Compare with previous years.
Stressors.
Stress management resources (e.g., hotlines, support groups, etc.).
Prevalent mental health issues/concerns:
- How does the community deal with mental health issues
- Mental health professionals within community and usage
Disaster planning:
- Past disasters
- Drills (what, how often)
- Planning committee (members, roles)
- Policies
- Crisis intervention plan
Functional Health Patterns Community Assessment