Posted: March 12th, 2023

Health issues in the community

This discussion is divided in two parts

1. Main discussion post

2. Two replies

COMMUNITY HEALTH ISSUES

To prepare for this Discussion, you will be required to read the assigned chapters in your Stanhope and Lancaster text. Then, call the Department of Health or your local Public Health Department and speak to a nurse. Find out the top health concern(s) for your community. Please focus your attention on the unique tools that nurses who work in the community utilize to care for populations, including the Intervention Wheel.

· Stanhope, M., & Lancaster, J. (2020). 
Public health nursing: Population-centered health care in the community (10th ed.). Elsevier.

· Chapter 1, “Public Health Foundation and Population Health” (pp. 1-21)

· Chapter 11, “Population-Based Public Health Nursing Practice: The Intervention Wheel” (pp. 231-254)

· Chapter 31, “Health Equity and Care of Vulnerable Populations” (pp. 697-715)

Listen to Dr. Attia’s Ted Talk in the resources for this week.

· Attia, P. (2013).
 

Is the obesity crisis hiding a bigger problem?
Links to an external site.

 [Video]. TED conferences. https://www.ted.com/talks/peter_attia_what_if_we_re_wrong_about_diabetes
Note: The approximate length of this media piece is 16 minutes.

Peter Attia: Is the obesity crisis hiding a bigger problem? | TED Talk

Post your response to the following:

· Pick a top health issue in your community and describe some ways in which a nurse might improve this issue at the population level.

· Are the problems that your colleagues are sharing the same as you are seeing in your communities, or are they different?

· Consider different aspects of intervention(s) at the system and community levels of care to address health problems in their own communities. Consider Dr. Attia’s profound message as you respond to your peers and think outside the box.

Support your response with references from professional nursing literature.

Notes Initial Post: This should be a 3-paragraph (at least 350 words) response. Be sure to use 
evidenceLinks to an external site. from the readings and include 

in-text citationsLinks to an external site.

. Utilize 

essay-levelLinks to an external site.

 writing practice and skills, including the use of 

transitional materialLinks to an external site.

 and 

organizational framesLinks to an external site.

. Avoid quotes; 
paraphraseLinks to an external site. to incorporate evidence into your own writing. A 

reference listLinks to an external site.

 is required. Use the most 

current evidenceLinks to an external site.

 (usually ≤ 5 years old).

Charity Zrust

Substance Abuse is a top health issue in my Minnesota community. According to the County Health Department, the age bracket with the highest rate of drug abuse in my county is 18-25 years old. A few ways to improve substance abuse issues at the population level include providing awareness and education resources about the dangers and risks of substance abuse, collaborating with other healthcare professionals to create and implement evidence-based interventions, and advocating for policy changes. Minnesota has a wide variety of services available for substance use treatment, assessment and withdrawal management for adults and adolescents. Fast-Tracker is an online resource for Hennepin County residents to search for programs and services individualized to their needs (Hennepin County, MN).

Mental health issues are another common problem according to colleagues in my community. Mental health issues are prevalent in many communities and as an ongoing struggle for populations nationwide. The COVID-19 pandemic encased the world with worry and fear on numerous matters, such as personal safety, job security, and lack of effective vaccine or treatment, to name a few. These issues take a toll on one’s mental health within many populations. According to Hossain et al. (2020), depression, substance abuse, anxiety disorders, and increased suicidal tendencies follow natural disasters and economic crises. If similar patterns apply to the COVID-19 pandemic, the general population’s mental health will continue deteriorating and further strain the healthcare system.  

At the system level, interventions to address substance abuse in Hennepin County, MN, could include recovery services and increasing access to evidence-based treatment such as 12-step programs and medication-assisted therapy, implementing policies in providing education and resources to healthcare providers and reducing access to substances, especially at the adolescent level. At the community level, interventions could include creating support groups for individuals and families affected by substance abuse, providing health education and resources to the public, and collaborating with community organizations to develop and implement evidence-based interventions. Minnesota Recovery Connection is a recovery community organization with a mission of healing the recovery community through peer-to-peer support, advocacy, and public education (Minnesota Department of Resources). 

                                                                            References 

Hennepin County Minnesota. (n.d.). 

https://www.hennepin.us/your-government/research-Links to an external site.

data/public-health-dataLinks to an external site.

Hossain, M. M., Tasnim, S., Sultana, A., Faizah, F., Mazumder, H., Zou, L., McKyer, E. L. J., Ahmed, H. U., & Ma, P. (2020). Epidemiology of mental health problems in COVID-19: a review. 
F1000Research, 
9, 636. https://doi.org/10.12688/f1000research.24457.1 

Minnesota Department of Health (n.d.).     https://www.health.state.mn.us/communities/opioids/countyprofiles/hennepin.html
   

Minnesota Department of Resources. (n.d.). https://mn.gov/dhs/people-we-serve/adults/health- care/alcohol-drugs-addictions/programs-and-services/ 

Stanhope, M., & Lancaster, J. (2020). 
Public health nursing: Population-centered health care in   the community (10th ed.). Elsevier. Ch.11 pp. 231-254. 

Tania Ferreira Matos

Upon calling the Osceola Health Department I spoke to one of the nurses who informed me that the main health reason why patients seek medical attention at their facility is cardiovascular disease, mainly Hypertension (HTN). She then added that Osceola county has a predominantly Hispanic community and that there was a genetic predisposition for this type of disease due to their genetics and cultural dietary habits. She also stated many patients in the community seek help for HIV and Hepatitis C.

After further research, I discovered that Osceola county, as well as other counties in Florida, is required to conduct a Community Health Needs Assessment (CHNA) and a Community Health Improvement Plan (CHIP), on a county level (Florida Department of Health in Osceola County, 2022). Health needs are identified in the CHNA, while the CHIP identifies goals, strategies, and ultimately the plan of action for addressing and improving those health needs (Florida Department of Health, 2022). A CHIP is reviewed and updated every three to five years, while its goals and objectives are monitored monthly (Florida Department of Health, 2022).

I then looked over the demographics for the county, and it is estimated that Osceola County will grow by almost ten percent in the next five years from 368,559 residents in 2019 to 404,326 in 2024 (above Florida’s 6.8 percent growth rate) (Florida Department of Health in Osceola County, 2022). In Osceola County, the Hispanic population consists of 55.1%, compared with 25.9% for the state of Florida and 18.3% for the nation (Florida Department of Health, 2022). Therefore, the county must have the resources and services necessary to maintain a healthy population on an individualized basis.

Compared with non-Hispanic whites, people of Hispanic descent have a higher prevalence of hypertension, according to Campos and Rodriguez (2019), along with poor blood pressure control measures compared to other ethnicities in the United States.

Nurses have three options for intervening to improve hypertension and other health topics: directly with individuals, as part of a single or group, as part of a community, and as part of systems that affect community health (Stanhope & Lancaster, 2020). These interventions can range from screenings to referrals and follow-up to direct health education or in community collaboration.

References

Campos, C. L., & Rodriguez, C. J. (2019). High blood pressure in Hispanics in the United States: a review. 
Current opinion in cardiology, 
34(4), 350–358. 

https://doi.org/10.1097/HCO.0000000000000636Links to an external site.

Florida Department of Health in Osceola County. (2022, July 22). 
COMMUNITY HEALTH IMPROVEMENT PLAN 2020-2025. floridahealth.gov. Retrieved February 28,2023, partnerships/floridahealth.gov/provider-and-partner-resources/community-partnerships/floridamapp/state-and-community-reports/_documents/Osceola_CHIP2  

Stanhope, M., & Lancaster, J. (2020). 
Public health nursing: Population-centered health care in the community (10th ed.). Elsevier