NURS 4212 Week 1 Assignment: Population Health Using a Community Lens

NURS 4212 Week 1 Assignment: Population Health Using a Community Lens

Population health brings significant health problems into focus by evaluating health data and assessing for social determinants of health (SDoH). In this way, resources can be properly allocated, and interventions and policies can be put into place to address the underlying issues. Understanding the importance of population-focused nursing practice and developing the knowledge and skills to practice is critical in attaining a leadership role in health care, regardless of the practice setting (Stanhope & Lancaster, 2020).

In this Assignment, you will share about your own community, and discuss a population within that community regarding vulnerabilities and health problems/patterns.

NURS 4212 Week 1 Assignment: Population Health Using a Community Lens

NURS 4212:
Population Health Nursing

Module 1 Week 1 Template Assignment:

Population Health Using a Community Lens

Student Name Here

Program Name or Degree Name, Walden University

Course Number, Section, and
Title

(Example: NURS 0000 Section 01,
Title of Course
)

Instructor Name

Month, Day, Year

(Enter the date submitted to Instructor.)

 

Population Health Using a Community Lens

Complete the following prompts. Cite and reference in APA format.

Identify a
community of interest
, such as your city, neighborhood, or school district. Provide details about its people, its issues, and its history. (1 paragraph)

Identify and describe a population at risk or population of interest within your community that interests you
.
(1 paragraph)

What are
three health problems that your chosen population
is experiencing or is at risk to experience?(2 paragraphs with 2 scholarly resources)

Are those
health problems/patterns similar to populations in other states or nationally
? Provide statistical examples. (2 paragraphs with 2 scholarly resources)

How are your population’s health problems
being addressed or prioritized globally
by the World Health Organization or other international public health agencies? (1 paragraph with 1 scholarly resource) NURS 4212 Week 1 Assignment: Population Health Using a Community Lens

Do you consider your population to be a
vulnerable
population? Why or why not? Provide a concrete example of how addressing social determinants of health (SDoH) can support the health needs of your population. (1 paragraph)

References

 

NURS 4212 Week 1 Assignment: Population Health Using a Community Lens

Addressing Health Disparities in Florida: A Community-Based Approach

Community of Interest

This discussion concerns the community of interest in Florida. This is a community with a diverse population with different socioeconomic backgrounds. In the past decade, the area has gone through many changes such as increased urbanization and more new residents. While the economy is growing, there are spaces available in the health and access to healthcare that many residents lack. Health disparities follow people to various places, often asserting themselves by adding more concerns surrounding food insecurity, limited access to healthcare, and environmentally and socially undesirable issues such as pollution.

Population at Risk

Low-income families are one of the most vulnerable populations in this community. This group of many people have struggled with unemployment, unstable housing and inadequate access to health care (Younes et al., 2021). Because these families have limited preventive care and poor living conditions, children and elderly individuals in these families are at risk in particular. As a result of these challenges, rate of illnesses that are chronic are on the increase.

Health Problems Affecting the Population

Diabetes, hypertension and respiratory diseases are three main health problems that afflict this population. The problem of diabetes, which is a big issue, is caused by poor diet and lack of nutritious food. Obesity and more type 2 diabetes cases result as many low-income families rely on processed and fast food. The CDC reports that low-income populations are disproportionately affected with diabetes and socioeconomic status is a major factor in the management of the disease NURS 4212 Week 1 Assignment: Population Health Using a Community Lens.

Also, there is hypertension and stress, poor diets, and poor healthcare. Unsurprisingly, many people do not have routine checkups, which means they are not diagnosed and therefore cannot be treated for hypertension, increasing risk for heart disease and stroke (Lu et al., 2024).

ORDER HERE

Environmental factors including air pollution and substandard housing are major cause for prevalence of respiratory diseases such as asthma and COPD. Indoor air quality is poor and exposure to pollutants lead to respiratory problems in healthy individuals, and such problems to a larger extent in children and elderly persons (Kumar et al., 2023).

Comparison with National Trends

This community’s health issues are consistent with national trends of such communities in the U.S., with diabetes prevalence being much higher in low income and minority populations than in wealthier areas. The number of Americans with diabetes is approximately 34.2 million, and resides in marginalized communities in disproportionate numbers, states the NIDDK.

Hypertension is a public health issue that affects nearly half of American adults, and is especially high in the Black and Hispanic communities (Muntner et al., 2022). The lack of healthcare access and preventive measures exacerbates this condition.

Increased exposure to pollutants makes urban low-income locations more prone for respiratory diseases, such as asthma (Altman et al., 2023). According to the CDC, children living in low-income households are more likely to end up in the hospital due to asthma because they have not received adequate treatment or environmental triggers for their asthma.

Global Prioritization of Health Issues

That is why the WHO and other international health agencies prioritize these health issues through initiatives aimed at bettering access to healthcare and nutrition, and environmental conditions. The WHO’s Global Diabetes Compact is to lessen the diabetic’s burden by directing prevention and treatment strategies. In the same way, the WHO’s Global Initiative for Hypertension Control seeks to improve the management of high blood pressure globally. The WHO’s Clean Air Initiative and efforts to draft policies that decrease air pollution and improve lung health are some of the efforts to fight respiratory diseases.

Vulnerability of the Population

Being a vulnerable group, this population has limited healthcare access, economic instability and environmental risks. Improving their wellbeing includes addressing SDoH. Increasing access to affordable healthy food and carrying out community-based nutrition programs can dramatically decrease diabetes incidence. Furthermore, increasing the number of people with access to free or cheap healthcare services can improve management of hypertension and also prevent complications of chronic diseases NURS 4212 Week 1 Assignment: Population Health Using a Community Lens.

 

References

Altman, M. C., Kattan, M., T O’Connor, G., Murphy, R. C., Whalen, E., LeBeau, P., … & Jackson, D. J. (2023). Associations between outdoor air pollutants and non-viral asthma exacerbations and airway inflammatory responses in children and adolescents living in urban areas in the USA: a retrospective secondary analysis. 
The Lancet Planetary Health
, 
7
(1), e33-e44.
https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanplh/article/PIIS2542-5196(22)00302-3/fulltext

Kumar, P., Singh, A. B., Arora, T., Singh, S., & Singh, R. (2023). Critical review on emerging health effects associated with the indoor air quality and its sustainable management. 
Science of The Total Environment
, 
872
, 162163.
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0048969723007799

Lu, Y., Keeley, E. C., Barrette, E., Cooper-DeHoff, R. M., Dhruva, S. S., Gaffney, J., … & Ross, J. S. (2024). Use of electronic health records to characterize patients with uncontrolled hypertension in two large health system networks. 
BMC Cardiovascular Disorders
, 
24
(1), 497.
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s12872-024-04161-x

Muntner, P., Miles, M. A., Jaeger, B. C., Hannon III, L., Hardy, S. T., Ostchega, Y., … & Schwartz, J. E. (2022). Blood pressure control among US adults, 2009 to 2012 through 2017 to 2020. 
Hypertension
, 
79
(9), 1971-1980.
https://www.ahajournals.org/doi/abs/10.1161/HYPERTENSIONAHA.122.19222

Younes, H., Darzi, A., & Zhang, L. (2021). How effective are evacuation orders? An analysis of decision making among vulnerable populations in Florida during hurricane Irma. 
Travel behaviour and society
, 
25
, 144-152.
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2214367X21000685
 NURS 4212 Week 1 Assignment: Population Health Using a Community Lens