Reflection:

A community health assessment is important to find the needs of a community. Needs that are not self perceived for the community, but researched through data collection, analysis, and gaining input from the community. It is the foundation for starting an intervention or program recommendation. Before I started my Masters degree, I was already doing community health assessments without realizing it. During my undergrad at Appalachian State, I was a member of a program called AppEats, an organization for students, by students to help bring nutritious food to on campus students. We went to each dorm room and asked students what the hardest part of eating healthy in college was, what kind of resources they wish they had, what they ate in the dining halls on a typical day, and how easy it was to shop for food. We also collected data on what food was readily available on campus and in our student markets and restaurants around campus. We used all this data to create programs that on campus students could utilize when making healthier food choices such as easy to create recipes on a budget, supermarket tours on recommended items to buy, and an online cooking show based on living in a dorm. We listened to our community to cater to what they needed and factors that affected them such as availability to ingredients, storage of ingredients, limited cooking space and materials, and budget. 

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One of the biggest concepts that this program has opened my eyes to is that there are a multitude of influence levels that impact how a person lives and the behaviors they do. It's easy to see problems as black and white at an individual level, but to do a community health assessment, you must be aware of all the factors that effect that community and how they can contribute to problems or extend a certain level of disconnect. Cultural competency encompasses providing services, supports or other assistance that are conducted or provided in a manner that is responsive to the beliefs, interpersonal styles, attitudes, language and behaviors of individuals who are receiving services, and in a manner that has the greatest likelihood of ensuring their maximum participation in the program. a health education specialist must know what job they are supposed to do and the best manner in which to do it. There is no exact way to fit everyone, it must be tailored to fit the community. If I could go back in time to my days at AppEats, I would make sure that I was not only focusing on students, but on the food providers as well. They are also a part of the community and have challenges when dealing with college students. Opening a network of communication with both would have been a vital key to creating healthier options for students at an affordable price. 

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Evidence:
While taking the UNCG health analysis course, I was teamed with four other members to do a community health assessment of track 163.04 in High Point, North Carolina and focused on housing security

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Methods:
Our first step in the community health assessment was to conduct two windshield tours. The first one was mainly done by car to explore all the different streets. We drove through neighborhoods and  visited different business inside our tract.We were then able to construct a map of the resources available in the community. The second tour was more focused on getting a sense of the community and correcting any data that had been missed or that we had doubts about. By visiting the resources and engaging the community we got a better sense of what was available. One tour had heavy rainfall so we were not able to talk to community members as well as we would have liked to so we relied heavily on one day for walking and one day for driving. Our tract was two square miles with large amounts of greenery, a lake, tree coverage. Some first impressions were:

• Good Walkability

• Not many Sidewalks

• Crosswalks

• Signage but no traffic calming measure

• Disc golf

• Oak Hollow Lake/Golf Course/Marina

• Assisted Living Homes 

• fire station located right inside the tract  

• Visually appealing homes, well-kept neighborhoods 

• Safety signs 

• Marked roads 

• Signs of community involvement (Elks Lodge for a Halloween festival)

• A sense of pride in their neighborhoods and quality homes (many of the houses are very well maintained and many members decorate their homes for the holidays) 

• Similar concerns, do a lot of the residents interact with each other? (busy roads)

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The second phase was to interview community members. We mainly interviewed workers of different businesses in our tract, many of whom also live inside of the census tract. We visited grocery stores, restaurants, barbershops, insurance agencies, dry cleaners, and banks. 

I think the hardest part of interviewing was trying not to feel like a nuisance while doing the interviews. I didn’t want to waste anyone’s time and I really appreciate each person for agreeing to the interview. I think also trying to establish a flow takes practice. I have learned that I need to ask more leading questions and be confident in my speaking. 

 

Our team used the interviews and windshield tours as primary information as well as data sources online as secondary information to create the perceived needs and assets of our census tract.

 

Findings:

Some facts about our tract:

-3,767 residents

-Median Family Household Income- $105,500

-Median home value -$215,600

-1,459 housing units within the census tract, 1,387 of which are occupied

-Nearly 450 jobs created within the last 2 years, and increasing market growth

 

Some challenges we noticed were Road Issues:

•Community members feel unsafe utilizing a main, connecting road to run and walk their dogs on, they even feel unsafe crossing it 

•Construction that will not be complete for a few years on a main road, will be better for members when it is finished 

Rezoning:

•Potential development of businesses in the residential neighborhoods due to rezoning 

•So many developments, so little space

 

Population, Race/Ethnicity  rates compared to parent county, Forsyth, and NC:

• Race white: census tract lower than Forsyth County and NC, higher than Guilford County 

• Race African American: census tract lower than Forsyth County and Guilford County, higher than NC

• Race Asian: census tract higher than Forsyth County, Guilford County  and NC

• Race Native American: census tract higher than Forsyth County, equal to Guilford County, lower than NC

• Race Pacific Islander: census tract equal to all

• Hispanic: census tract lower than all

• Non-Hispanic: census tract higher than all

Population by Age Highlights:

• 0-29 years old: census tract is lower than Guilford County, Forsyth County, and NC

• 30-69 years old: census tract is higher than Guilford County, Forsyth County, and NC

• 70+ years old: census tract is lower than Guilford County, Forsyth County, and NC

Educational Attainment Highlights:

• Less than 9th grade: census tract is lower than all (by roughly 3-4%) 

• 9th to 12th grade, no diploma: census tract is lower than all (by roughly 5-6%) 

• Percent high school graduate or higher: census tract is higher than all (by roughly 8%) 

• Percent bachelor's degree or higher: census tract is higher than all (by roughly 20%)

 

Conclusion:

Through this community health analysis, my team realized that High Point is growing at a fast rate and there is not enough housing to match the population trying to move in. This means there will be more construction and congestion as new roads and stores and houses are being built. The residents interviewed enjoy that the area is growing and say they feel safe where they live. Most would like more sidewalks so they can be active and walk more.

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