presentation

Generating Data for a Community Health Assessment Windshield Surveys By using public transportation or driving a vehicle around the community, the common characteristics of the community can be observed.

Some examples of key observations to make when assessing the community through a windshield survey are listed here:

• Condition and age of the homes • Location of parks and other recreational areas • Amount of space between homes and businesses • Neighborhood hangouts • Modes of transportation used • Quality 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

Participant Observation By spending time observing the population, information can be learned about the interactions within the community, including the following:

• Developmental stage of the population • Relationships among group members • Group processes among members

Informant Interviews Informants can be people who are familiar with and interact with the population on a regular basis. When working with a geriatric population, it may be beneficial to interview health care personnel, informal leaders in the community (e.g., clergy, activity leaders, volunteer coordinators, community organizers), and any other individuals who have regular contact with the population.

Example questions you can ask key informants include the following:

• Strengths and assets of the community • Areas of improvement for the community • Concerns of community members • Access to health care

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 take into consideration the developmental level of the group being assessed. Questions should be written at the appropriate developmental level, so they can be 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 and 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 and stress management patterns • Risky behaviors • Support systems • Volunteer and community activities and hobbies • Activity and rest patterns • Nutrition • Dental hygiene • Health promotion activities

Focus Groups Focus groups (usually small groups of 6-12 people) can be helpful when gathering information about specific concerns within the population. A focus group involves open dialogue among members of the population, whereas an interview or survey yields only individual responses.

Focus groups may be effective for assessing:

• Satisfaction with services provided • Community resources used • Transportation issues within the community • Safety within the community • General concerns of members of the population

Secondary Analysis of Already Existing Documents After collected data have been analyzed, it may be helpful to go back and review the documents that were collected during the data-gathering phase or to examine additional data that have already been collected by another source.