Global and Population Health Discussion Assignment Paper
Community/Location: Fort Collins, CO
Subpopulation: Spanish population
Local Town, City, or County Aspects | Description / Data | |
Community’s size | Fort Collins population as of 2023 was approximately 167,554. This population is reducing by about -0.29% per year World (Population Review, 2023). | |
Subpopulation’s size | Spanish speakers in Fort Collins, CO, represent about 5.72% of the population (World Population Review, 2023). Global and Population Health Discussion Assignment Paper | |
Gender: | The population of females in the city (66.7%) is twice that of males (33.3%) (Mast & Ruiz, 2023). | |
Age: | The city’s median age is approximately 36.2 (Population Review, 2023). | |
Race: | Fort Collins consists of several ethnic groups, including White (84.52%); Asian (3.25%); two or more racial groups (7.84%); and other races: 1.92%. Additionally, African Americans represent about 1.48%, Native American (0.86%), and Native Hawaiian 0.13% (Population Review, 2023). | |
Income: | The Fort Collins average household income is approximately $96,301 (Population Review, 2023). | |
Education Level: | High School Graduates represent about 14.06%, while individuals with College education represent 25.8%. About 33.32% of the population has pursued a bachelor’s Degree, while 24.21% has completed a graduate degree (Population Review, 2023). | |
Percentage Living in Poverty: | The city’s poverty rate is approximately 15.66% (Population Review, 2023). | |
Crime Rates: | The 2020 crime rate in Fort Collins, CO is 139 (City-Data.com crime index) | |
Occupations: | Fort Collins, CO’s economy has employed about 92.4k citizens. Approximately 15,137 citizens work in the education sector, while 11 161 individuals provide Health Care & Social Assistance services. Lastly, the Retail Trade has employed about 9,530 citizens (Census Bureau., 2023). | |
Access to Healthcare: | About 93.8% of Fort Collins, CO’s population has health coverage. Approximately 57.3% are covered by employee plans, while 11.3% are under Medicaid. Additionally, about 7.81% are on Medicare, with 16% and 1.36% insured by non-group and VA plans, respectively (Census Bureau., 2023). | |
Access to Transportation: | The highest percentage of the city’s population (69.7%) drove to work alone, 11.6% worked at home, and 6.71% carpooled (Census Bureau., 2023). Global and Population Health Discussion Assignment Paper | |
Access to Food Sources: | Food, including seafood and meat, is highly accessible in the city (Census Bureau, 2023). | |
Health Rates: | 93.8% of the population of Fort Collins, CO has health coverage, with 57.3% on employee plans, 11.3% on Medicaid, 7.81% on Medicare, 16% on non-group plans, and 1.36% on military or VA plans (Census Bureau, 2023). | |
Nutrition Rates: | Healthy diet rate: 53.1% |
A1. Description of Environmental Concerns
A2. Comparison Discussion (Subpopulation vs. Larger Community Population)
Spanish speakers represent about 5.72% of the city’s population (World Population Review, 2023). The education attainment among Spanish speakers in Fort Collins, CO, is relatively lower than that of English speakers (World Population Review, 2023).
SDOH determines an individual’s overall health outcomes. Zajacova and Lawrence (2018) attributed higher educational attainment in adults to healthier and longer lives. Individuals with higher education attainment have healthier lives than their less educated counterparts. Therefore, Spanish speakers living in Fort Collins live less healthily than English speakers due to low education attainment. Global and Population Health Discussion Assignment Paper
B1. Explanation of SDOH Impact on Subpopulation
Low education attainment affects Spanish speakers living in Fort Collins adversely. These individuals have relatively higher disease burden and mortality rates than English speakers. This trend is associated with limited health literacy, reduced employment opportunities, and higher poverty rates than the general population.
Description of Available Resource #1: Spanish speakers living in Fort Collins, CO, have limited healthcare services (World Population Review, 2023). This trend results in adverse health outcomes due to a need for more high-quality, timely, and effective healthcare services.
Description of Available Resource #2: Spanish speakers have low health literacy due to low education attainment (World Population Review, 2023). This trend leads to a high disease burden and mortality rates in this population.
Description of Needed Resource #1: This population requires timely, accessible, high-quality healthcare services. Access to high-quality healthcare services, reducing high disease burden mortality rates (Kruk et al., 2018).
Description of Needed Resource #2: Secondly, the population requires a high level of health literacy. Improved health knowledge will enhance self-care, resulting in optimal health outcomes, such as reduced disease burden and mortality rates.
D1. Resources Explanation
The proposed evidence-based interventions involve education programs targeting Spanish speakers living in Fort Collins, CO. According to Block et al. (2018), community education programs significantly improve public health through literacy. This subpopulation has relatively low education attainment compared to English speakers. Therefore, an education program is needed to improve their health literacy and knowledge.
E1. How will the Intervention Decrease the Gap?
The proposed Intervention will enhance Spanish speakers’ health literacy and knowledge. These individuals will incorporate knowledge and skills acquired during the education program in self-care and disease prevention, reducing disease burden and mortality rates. Global and Population Health Discussion Assignment Paper
References
Block, L., Flynn, S. J., Cooper, L. A., Lentz, C., Hull, T., Dietz, K. B., & Boonyasai, R. T. (2018). Promoting sustainability in quality improvement: evaluating a web-based continuing education program in blood pressure measurement. BMC Family Practice, 19(1), 1-9.
Census Bureau. (2023). Population and Diversity. Census Bureau. https://sunbird.datausa.io/profile/geo/fort-collins-co?redirect=true#education
Kruk, M. E., Gage, A. D., Joseph, N. T., Danaei, G., García-Saisó, S., & Salomon, J. A. (2018). Mortality due to low-quality health systems in the universal health coverage era: a systematic analysis of amenable deaths in 137 countries. The Lancet, 392(10160), 2203-2212.
Mast, B. D., & Ruiz, T. (2023). Visualizing Spanish Speaking Limited English Proficiency and Hispanic Populations in Fort Collins, Colorado. Cityscape, 25(1), 281-286.
World Population Review. (2023). Fort Collins, Colorado Population 2023. World Population Review. https://worldpopulationreview.com/us-cities/fort-collins-co-population
Zajacova, A., & Lawrence, E. M. (2018). The relationship between education and health: reducing disparities through a contextual approach. Annual Review of Public Health, 39, 273-289.
Use Template
City: Fort Collins, CO
Subpopulation: Spanish
virtual assessment
In this task, you will collect and review data from the windshield survey within the D224 course or from online sources (e.g., citydata.com, hospital community assessments, department of public health sites) to identify an at-risk subpopulation within your local town, county, or city and a social determinant of health (SDOH) concern. (Web links to some of these data sources have been attached in the Web Links section.) Global and Population Health Discussion Assignment Paper
You will then provide a written report outlining assessment findings, identified SDOH, and proposed evidence-based interventions to address the SDOH.
A. Describe a local town, city, or county and a subpopulation at risk within that area based on your review of data, and support your description with two credible sources. Your description should include the following information:
• the size of the community and the specific subpopulation
• gender
• age
• race
• income
• educational level
• percentage living in poverty
• crime rates
• occupations
• access to healthcare, transportation, and food sources
• health and nutrition rates Global and Population Health Discussion Assignment Paper
1. Describe environmental concerns (e.g., water quality, air quality, sanitation, superfund sites, hazardous waste, environmental toxins, natural disasters, vulnerability to heat/cold) relevant to the subpopulation.
2. Discuss how the demographics (i.e., race, gender, ethnicity, age) of the identified subpopulation compare with the larger community population, and discuss how data supports the health concern for this subpopulation.
B. Identify one social determinant of health (SDOH) affecting the subpopulation described in part A.
1. Explain how this SDOH is affecting the subpopulation described in part A. Your explanation should address the following questions and be supported with local, state, or national data:
• What is the biggest contributor to disease (morbidity) and premature death (mortality) in the community?
• What are the controversial community health concerns discussed in a local newspaper or a local online resource (e.g., online newspaper or blog, hospital website, county health department site)?
• What do you believe people in the community are most concerned about related to health?
• What is generating the most visits to the emergency room or hospital admissions in the community?
• Based on the collected data, what do you believe is reducing the quality of life in the community?
C. Describe two resources currently available to the subpopulation that address the SDOH in part B.
D. Describe two resources that are needed to address the SDOH for the subpopulation described in part A.
1. Explain why each resource from part D is needed.
E. Discuss an evidence-based intervention to address the gap between the available healthcare resources and the resources needed to address the SDOH. Include one scholarly, evidence-based source published within the last five years to support the discussion.
1. Explain how this evidence-based intervention will decrease the resource gap, including one specific example.
Note: This intervention could include policy development, resource development, population education, etc.
F. Acknowledge sources, using APA-formatted in-text citations and references, for content that is quoted, paraphrased, or summarized.
G. Demonstrate professional communication in the content and presentation of your submission. Global and Population Health Discussion Assignment Paper