Community Assessment and Analysis Essay

Yuma Community Of all the problems faced by Yuma community, along with the state ranking for teen births, the community also takes third place. (County Health Rankings, 2012). Programs that will help to educate teens on the importance of using birth control in order to stop undesirable pregnancies are a rising need within the community. Additional health problems for this community include obesity in the adolescent population; in 2005, the Yuma community had approximately thirty six percent of its adolescent in obese category, comparing to twenty nine percent in the entire state. (Centers for Disease Control, 2005). In the state The Steps program steered by the Nutrition and Physical Activity Self-Assessment for Child Care Centers, targeted five communities and over 2,200 children mostly decreasing sugary drinks, cumulative fiber intake and wholegrain foods. The state of Arizona as a whole is facing another larger issue in the Vaccination rate. World Health Organization mandates 95% of vaccination rate for the entire population. The rate of vaccination set by the state is 90% and the current rate of the State is 70%, which far below the target goal and is alarming. (Arizona Department of Health Service, 2011). Arizona Republic magazine reports that, I the upper and middle class one of the reason for non-compliance with immunization is fear of causing Autism. If given opportunity, the lower class families seem to show better compliance with immunization when cost factor is elicited (Alitucker, 2011). Location and climate play an important role in the health issues of this community. Mexico and California are the two borders of Yuma community. The economy and budget gets divided among law enforcement and Border patrol. The increasing crime rate requires the state to contribute a major part of its budget towards law enforcement and protection of its citizens, which takes a down toll on the availability of the public health res ources initiation. A health initiative, to utilize funding ,such as to ensure free water supply to all the community could benefit to elicit problems related to Dehydration in this desert climate. Educational status is another concern of this community. Hispanic population accounts for sixty percent. High rate of drop outs from school is considered to be related to language barrier. Education can play a vital role in enabling the community to critically to acknowledge problems and to find remedies to stay healthy as a community. Yuma Community can benefit from added funding to support and to maintain programs to stay healthy as a community. With the limited funding, community is able to assist with citizens with housing, health insurance including dental coverage in the community (Need Help Paying Bills, 2011). Yuma community cannot be considered totally poor, because the community consists of one main acute care hospital and two smaller hospitals inside a sixty mile distance. But the lack of Medical specialty such as Cardiac surgeries or those require high skilled treatments are not easily available within the community. The nearest specialty hospitals for children and adults are in Phoenix. Fatal accidents accounts as first reason for the higher death rate in the community. In 2007, the total death rate for the city of Yuma is higher than the state average in total, directing to fatal accidents as the source (Yuma, AZ, 2012). The functional health assessment of Yuma community, we have learned that there are many problems that can be considered in the County. Some of the key problems prominent are high rates of obesity, alcoholism, drug addiction, and teen pregnancy. Though the total obesity rates are close to national average, the statistics show that County has a much higher rate of adults that do not exercise. In order to care for the mental health needs of the community, the County has six addiction treatment centers. The suicide rate remains high even with the availability of mental health service within the community. There are two military bases to serve the community. The increased poverty rate is believed to be the reason for higher addiction rate. Yuma is the eleventh largest city in the state, but they have the third highest rate of teen births. There are several facilities in the county to assist socially with issues related to parenting; poverty, and employment, addition of more funding and facilities can be helpful to the community, to rebuild a healthier community. Even with all of these problems, several people are proud to call Yuma County their home. The friendship felt within the communities such as a military social function, the local bar, at the river, or out on the ridges leads many people to find a pleasant and happy life here. There are plenty of resources to help the population discover the services they require, and to enjoy a cleaner and healthier environment. With an added focus on the health issues, Yuma community can stay healthy and happy. Sleep and rest. The sleep habit of the people in Yuma is mostly uninterrupted. Most of them are sleeping 6-8 hrs at night. Going to bed At 10 pm and waking at 0600.There are full time workers with 12 hour and 8 hour schedules. Some of the members are doing the part time work, some are doing voluntary work. Some of the older population states that very seldom they use sleeping pills to promote sleep. Few of the ladies have the habit of drinking, hot milk before going to bed, limited number of ladies have the habit of drinking wine before sleep. Some of the adult populations have sleep apnea problems. Sound sleep indicates sound health of mind and body. Cognitive/Perceptual The primary language for this community is English. Increasing numbers of older adults have access to and are knowledgeable about computers. They are well educated and most of them are well employed. No communication barriers noted among this group. Libraries and internet facilities are available in the community for the members use. Most of the older people using glasses for the visual impairment and few of them were using hearing aid for the auditory impairment. The people go to the community college for short term career goals. It was interesting to note that some of the older people are continuing education. Self-Perception/Self-Concept Yuma city population consist of 29.6% under the age of 18, 11.9% from 18 to 24, 27.1% from 25 to 44, 17.5% from 45 to 64, and 13.9% who were 65 years of age or older. Agriculture is a major industry in Yuma, topping Arizona counties in agricultural sales. In addition, Yuma County also houses the US Marine Corps Air Station and US Army Yuma Proving Grounds are located near Yuma City. Yuma County is thus characterized by large transient populations, as it is a temporary place of residence for agricultural migrant workers, winter residents and military personnel. With the beginning of the winter growing season in October, the county has a large influx of migrant farm workers and winter residents. In 2008, Yuma County was a temporary home to 41,314 migrant and agricultural workers and to 12,600 winter residents (Yuma Special Area Statistical Profile-2008). Hunting is a popular sport, as the county offers a variety of different types of game. Fun, Friendship, Freedom and fulfillment are the mission of Yuma County. The members are bound together by these missions. Some of the major attractions in Yuma County are the historical Territorial Prison, the Yuma Crossing Historic Park. Other great places to visit are the Kofa Mountain Range and Wildlife Refuge, and Martinez and Mittry Lakes. Sexuality/Reproductive The people in Yuma County believe that teen pregnancy and/or STDs are a major health issue in Yuma County. Youth and teens are most affected along with Hispanics and Native Americans. Compared to the 2010 health targets, however, Yuma County falls short in reducing teen pregnancy among 15-17 year olds, prenatal care, low birth weight, and fetal/infant death. The family environment was mentioned as a factor contributing to negative health outcomes stemming from the breakdown of the family. One interview respondent felt that â€Å"children do not have a sense of self-worth or self-esteem and are no longer being nourished; only sustained.† Interview respondents felt that parents do not have time for their children and there is a lack of communication between parents and children. Further, they felt parents are not involved or are not educated on how to take care of their children’s health. Most of the members are having annual physical checkup with mammogram and Pap smear. Community awareness program including the transmission and prevention of STD/ HIV / AIDS are being held in the community. Coping/Stress An important aspect of healthy ageing is the ability to cope with and adapt to life conditions and transitions. Participation in social activity helps the Yuma county people to cope with transitory, acute and chronic stressors in their lives. The accumulation of chronic health conditions can negatively affect psychological wellbeing and quality of life. In addition to health-related stressors, the death of a spouse is often a challenging loss for older population. Related to this, social isolation, loneliness and loss of social support systems may be additional stressors in older people’s lives that affect psychological wellbeing. There is evidence that both personal attributes and social resources influence the perceived severity of a stressor, and also the types of coping strategies that older women use to manage these stressors. The Yuma county members managing stress with multiple ways. Reference Best Places. (2012). People in Yuma County, Arizona. Retrieved November 29, 2012, from http://www.bestplaces.net/people/county/arizona/Yuma Centers for Disease Control. (2005). Teen obesity statistics. Retrieved November 27, 2012, from http://www.cdc.gov Child, youth, and school services. (2012). Retrieved from http://www.yumamwr.com/cys.html City of Yuma. (2012). Parks and recreations. Retrieved November 22, 2012, from http://www.ci.yuma.az.us/1357.htm County Health Rankings. (2012). Yuma, Arizona teen birth rates. Retrieved from http://m.countyhealthrankings.org/node/246/14