PHN Topic 7 – Classmate (Lesli) response to Topic 7 DQ 2-ON “Quick Facts about her state -United States

QUESTION- Visit the “Quick Facts United States,” resource to gather demographic data for your county of residence. Include age, ethnicity, poverty levels, housing, and education. Then visit the “County Health Rankings and Roadmaps,” website to collect epidemiological data from your county health department. Describe your findings and how population health data helps identify priority areas of concern

Classmate (Lesli) response to  Topic 7 DQ 2

Harris County is a diverse area located in Texas. The county is in the Gulf Coast Region of Texas. The population of Harris is 4,713,325(U.S. Census Bureau Quickfacts: Harris County, Texas; United States, n.d.). Broken down by ethnicity Harris County is 69.6 % White, % African American or Black, 1.1 % American Indian and Alaska Native (alone), 7.3% Asian (alone), 0.1 Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander (alone), 2.0 % 2 or more races, and 43.7% Latino or Hispanic(U.S. Census Bureau Quickfacts: Harris County, Texas; United States, n.d.). 15% of persons in Harris County live in poverty, which is more than the national statistic of 10.5 %(U.S. Census Bureau Quickfacts: Harris County, Texas; United States, n.d.). The median income in Harris County is $61,705 compared to $62,843 nationally(U.S. Census Bureau Quickfacts: Harris County, Texas; United States, n.d.). 22.4 % of Harris County residents under 65 years old are uninsured, compared to 9.5 % nationally(U.S. Census Bureau Quickfacts: Harris County, Texas; United States, n.d.). There a total of 1,605,368 households in Harris County with 1,818,111 available housing units (U.S. Census Bureau Quickfacts: Harris County, Texas; United States, n.d.). 54.6 % of units are owner occupied(U.S. Census Bureau Quickfacts: Harris County, Texas; United States, n.d.). The median home value is $175,700 compared to $217,500 nationally(U.S. Census Bureau Quickfacts: Harris County, Texas; United States, n.d.). 81.4% adults aged more than 25 years old hold a high school or higher education(U.S. Census Bureau Quickfacts: Harris County, Texas; United States, n.d.). 31.5% adults aged older than 25 have a bachelors or higher degree(U.S. Census Bureau Quickfacts: Harris County, Texas; United States, n.d.).

After reviewing data from the Census Bureau and Ranking and Roadmaps, some population health determinants such as the uninsured, children in poverty, and violent crime jump out to be concerning (County Health Rankings and Roadmaps, n.d.). Being uninsured, children in poverty, and violent crime in particular merit more public health resources. The data collected shows an increase when compared to the national statistics (County Health Rankings and Roadmaps, n.d.). Priorities are determined to allow the best use of resources that benefit community health(Primary Health Care Performance Initiative, n.d.). Priority setting should be determined by using data retrieved from varied resources(Primary Health Care Performance Initiative, n.d.). This data should include “health and burden of disease information, service delivery evaluations, and cost-effectiveness assessments”(Primary Health Care Performance Initiative, n.d.). Stakeholder input should also be considered when priorities are being set(Primary Health Care Performance Initiative, n.d.).

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Solution

Classmate (Lesli) response

Reviewing the data for Harris County, it appears to me that the main contributors to public health issues are socio-economic factors such as poverty. Poverty will eventually contribute to so many children growing up in poverty and therefore lacking essential basic needs. Children born in poverty, therefore, struggle to access healthcare services and healthcare resources. Children born in poverty will also have parents that are less likely to be concerned about a healthy diet. This will place children born in poverty at a higher risk of lifestyle diseases such as obesity which eventually increases their risk of type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular diseases as they grow up. Children born in poverty are also less likely to be involved in preventative health practices. This is because the parents of such children will not have the resources, time, and even the education to realize the importance of preventative health services (Sofer, 2019). Poverty will also lead to a significant proportion of the population being uninsured. This is because health insurance plans require regular monthly payments to sustain. Poor families may therefore lack the necessary finances to support their medical cover and therefore choose to remain uninsured. Past studies have therefore indicated that uninsured individuals are as likely to utilize preventative health care services and may struggle to access healthcare facilities once they become ill (Sofer, 2019). Poverty also contributes to violent crime rates in a region. As a significant proportion of the population finds themselves in poverty, more people will therefore become desperate and be involved in crime to fend for themselves. The high rates of violent crime in Harris County can therefore be attributed directly to poverty.

References
Sofer, D. (2019). The Number of Uninsured Americans Is on the Rise Again. AJN, American Journal of Nursing, 119(4), 15. https://doi.org/10.1097/01.naj.0000554536.64901.d4