Defining the Community Your community can be any geographically defined county, city, or town. Clearly delineate the following dimensions
before starting the process of community assessment: Describe the population that is being assessed? What
is/are the race(s) of this population within the community? Are there boundaries of this group? If so, what are
they? Does this community exist within a certain city or county? Are there general characteristics that separate
this group from others? Education levels, birth/death rates, age of deaths, insured/uninsured? Where is this
group located geographically…? Urban/rural? Why is a community assessment being performed? What
purpose will it serve? How will information for the community assessment be collected? Assessment After the
community has been defined, the next phase is assessment. The following items describe several resources
and methods that can be used to gather and generate data. These items serve as a starting point for data
collection. This is not an all-inclusive list of resources and methods that may be used when a community
assessment is conducted. The time frame for completion of the assessment may influence which methods are
used. Nonetheless, these items should be reviewed to determine what information will be useful to collect
about the community that is being assessed. It is not necessary to use all of these resources and methods;
however, use of a variety of methods is helpful when one is exploring the needs of a community. Data
Gathering (collecting information that already exists) Demographics of the Community When demographic data
are collected, it is useful to collect data from a variety of levels so comparisons can be made. If the population
that is being assessed is located within a specific setting, it may be best to contact that agency to retrieve
specific information about that population. The following resources provide a broad overview of the
demographics of a city, county, or state: State and County Quick Facts—Easy access to facts about people,
business, and geography, based on U.S. Census data:
https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/US/PST045219 Obtain information about a specific city or county
on these useful websites: www.epodunk.com and www.city-data.com Information from Government Agencies
Healthy People 2020—this resource is published by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. It
identifies health improvement goals and objectives for the country to be reached by the year 2020:
http://www.healthypeople.gov/ National Center for Health Statistics—this agency is part of the Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention; this website provides statistical information about the health of Americans:
https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/index.htm National Vital Statistics System: http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/nvss.htm
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)—The CDC website contains a large amount of information
related to the health of the American population. The search engine within this website can be used to find
relevant information: http://www.cdc.gov Federal agencies with statistical programs:
http://www.fedstats.gov/agencies Every state in the United States has its own specific health improvement plan
and goals that are based on the Healthy People 2020 document. This information may be available on the
state health department website. State and local health departments provide information related to vital
statistics for the community. Other Data Sources America’s Health Rankings—this website provides
information about various health indicators for each state: https://www.americashealthrankings.org/ Other
relevant data sources may be found by conducting an Internet search related to the topic that is being
examined through the community assessment. After data are collected from various sources, it is important to
review the information and to identify assets and areas for improvement in the community by comparing local
data (if available) versus state and national data. This will facilitate organization of the information that has
already been obtained and will provide direction for the next step of the process. Data Generation (data are
developed that do not already exist): Windshield Surveys With the use of public transportation or by driving a
vehicle around the community, one can observe common characteristics of the community. Examples of key
observations to make when one is assessing the community through a windshield survey include the following:
Age of the homes in the community Location of parks and other recreational areas Amount of space between
homes and businesses Neighborhood hangouts Transportation in the community Quality and safety of streets
and sidewalks Stores and other businesses People out in the community Cleanliness of the community
Billboards or other media displays Places of worship Healthcare facilities Participant Observation Spend time
observing the population that is being assessed. Through observation of interactions among group members,
much can be learned about the community, including the following: Developmental level of the population
Effectiveness of peer-to-peer interactions Respect for peers and others Safety in the environment Economic
status Informant Interviews Informants could be people who are familiar with and interact with the population
on a regular basis. Examples of questions that may be asked of key informants include the following:
Strengths/assets of the community Areas of improvement for the community Concerns of community members
Access to health care Emergency plans for natural or man-made disasters Focus Groups Focus groups
(usually small groups of 6-12 people) can be helpful when one is gathering information about specific areas of
concern within the population. Use of a focus group involves open dialogue about the population, whereas an
interview or survey yields only individual responses. Focus groups may be effective for assessing the following:
Satisfaction with services provided Community resources used Transportation issues within the community
Safety within the community General concerns of members of the population Surveys Surveys may be used to
collect data from the community. Selecting a sample of the target population may prove helpful in the collection
of data that are easier to analyze. It is important to ensure that the sample is representative of the target
population. A survey should be developed that takes into consideration the developmental level of the group
that is being assessed. Questions should be written at the appropriate developmental level, so they are
answered in a way that makes the data useful. Surveys might include closed-ended (yes/no), multiple choice
(several responses to choose from), Likert scale (Strongly Agree/Agree/Neutral/Disagree/Strongly Disagree),
or open-ended (“why”/“how”) questions. Topics that may be addressed in a survey include the following:
Demographic information Status of employment Safety within community Safety in environment Personal
safety (seatbelts, helmets, etc.) Stressors/stress management patterns Risky behaviors Support systems
Volunteer/community activities Rest patterns Nutrition Dental hygiene Health promotion activities
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