Community health is regarded as a critical economic driver in developed nations. In the US, the Healthy People Vision 2020 has been developed to identify the community, family, and personal illnesses that cause significant nation burden of disease. Significant emphasis has been laid on healthy communities, as changes have been occurring in the areas of medical financing, focus, and policy (Don, 2016). In view of this, the current paper will assess the community health needs and risks of the King`s County community in Washington. The paper will analyze their needs towards work related injuries in relation to the various demographic and epidemiology medical aspects. In this regard, the paper will evaluate the needs of the community by investigating the prevalence of the identified problem and the presence of institutions that can be utilized to address the problem.
Identification of the Community
King`s County is located in Washington. Studies have identified the county to be among the most populous and wealthiest not only in Washington but also in the whole of the US. The county was ranked fourth in terms of wealth and thirteenth in terms of population in the United States. The county has a population of 1, 931, 249 people according to the United States National census. In addition to this, the community has 789, 232 households, 461, 510 families and a population density of 912.9 people per square mile. The county is bordered by Snohomish County to the North, Chelan County to the East North East, Pierce County to the South, Kitsap County to the West, and Kittitas County to the East South East.
The current health risk and status assessment project was done employing six tools. These tools include Population Economic Status Assessment Neighborhood, Community Safety Inventory, Cultural Assessment Tool, Disaster Assessment and Planning Guide, Windshield Survey, and Population Health Scavenger Hunt (Healthypeople.gov, 2016).
Population Economic Status Assessment
The King`s County Community has a population of 1, 931, 249 people according to the United States National census. The community has 789, 232 households, 461, 510 families and a population density of 912.9 people per square mile. The County had a mixed racial community with White Americans making the majority of the population with a percentage of 68.7. As of 2016, 29.2% of households in the county had children. In addition to this, 45.1% of families were couples living together while 9.1% were single mothers. The median age for the population was 37.1 with the average income per household being at $ 68, 065. It should also be noted that men in the county earned significantly higher than women. 10.2% of the population lived below the poverty line (Kingcountry.gov, 2016). Based on this assessment, it could be noted that majority of households in this county earn significantly more income than the average American. As such, economic disadvantages are unlikely to have a significant influence on the health of this community.
Neighborhood/Community Safety Inventory
The King’s County runs an elaborate health and safety program whose primary objective is to prevent occupational injuries. Through identification, evaluation, and management of hazards, the county’s health and safety program plays a critical role in reducing costs associated with occupational injuries. The program is built based on the belief that there is need to increase and diversify preventive measures aimed at reducing the incidence of work-related injuries.
The county’s division of environmental health services is charged with promoting community safety in the region. The division provides a range of occupational health services to the public as well as private sectors in the county. Among these services include indoor air quality evaluations, radiation safety training, and employee health and safety training. The division further provides education on employee exposure monitoring, illness and injury prevention, and industrial ventilation surveys among other services. In view of this assessment, it could be concluded that King’s County has efficient programs addressing the community’s safety. With the county’s division of environmental health services providing more than 15 types of industrial hygiene and occupational health services, occupational safety can be seen to be a particularly important public health objective in this community.
Cultural Assessment Tool
As it is the case with most counties in Washington, King County is an economic hub in the state of Washington and has a relative diverse population due to migration of people to the region in look for employment and better economic opportunities. Although the county is dominantly occupied by the white working class, there is a variety of people from other ethnic groups living in the area. Overall, the population in King County is highly educated and this makes the county a very competitive region.
Despite the dynamism of its culture, however, the King County community faces the problem of high cost of living and housing and this could be having an impact on the community’s health. Generally, the cost of living in Washington is among the highest in the US and King County is no exceptional. The culture of long working hours and the high stress level associated with it could also be identified as a significant problem facing the community. As earlier noted, majority of residents in this county are highly educated and have strong motivation for professional success.
Disaster Assessment and Planning Guide
Disaster management in the county is done by King County Office of Emergency Management (KCOEM). Among the primary functions of KCOEM include keeping an updated Regional Hazard Mitigation Plan (RHMP). KCOEM works closely with cities and districts across the county to ensure efficiency of the RHMP. In addition to this, KCOEM has a responsibility of ensuring the needs of all stakeholders within the county are adequately addressed by the RHMP. Among these stakeholders include cities, utility districts, schools, and hospitals.
The RHMP is a local disaster management plan and as such it is always expected to be consistent with the Washington State Hazard Mitigation Plan. According to the state plan, the KCOEM covers earthquake, avalanche, severe weather, dam failure, wildfire, floods, and volcano. With the current KCOEM recently updated, the King’s County community can expect even better services as the new plan has adopted a new methodology for prioritizing actions.
Windshield Survey
The County is a home for liberal politics and majority of people working and living in Washington DC are based there. The County has significant health policies aimed towards prevention and management of work-related injuries and risks. However, the manufacturing and processing industries, the construction businesses, and the transport industries have significantly increased report of the work related injuries. The construction industries have exhibited the highest risk exposure of job station injuries. The County has in the recent past reported a significant high burden of health along the risks and problems caused by the injuries in the work place that affected the economic, social, and political perspectives of the County. The National, State, and the County leaders were working in collaboration to curb the incidences in the region (Health Resources and Services Administration, 2016).
Population Health Scavenger Hunt
The health risks and problems associated with work related injuries and risks were significantly prevalent, with the incidences ranking third after the domestic violence, and road carnages. The County Government expenditure was significantly affected by the work-related injuries that cost the economy of the County in excess of $ 10 M annually in the prevention, management, and treatment of the problems. The population at risk included the people aged between 24 and 48 years that were significantly involved in the manufacturing and processing industries. The young and the aged population were affected indirectly when their relatives and the close friends were involved in the industrial injuries (Banks, Hazen, Coben, Wang & Griffith, 2009).
Interpretation of the Collected Data
The collected data indicate that King`s County Community has a high population and a significant need for workstation injuries and risks prevention and management program (National Institute of Health, 2016). Majority of the population in the area lived in the urban centers where they were worked in the various public and community places that were significantly at risk. The population that was more at risk of the work related injuries were the people that were aged between 24-48 years. The problems associated with the injuries at the work places had significant implications on the County`s economy and the population welfare. The problems ranked high on the area`s burden of disease. The County Government, healthcare institutions, National Government, the community, and the Federal Government were working in collaboration to establish policies and better procedures that would be aimed to reduce the work-related injuries in the region. The damage caused by the injuries and risks at the job stations ranked number three as the leading community health problem after road carnage and domestic violence injuries (OIG.HHS.gov, 2016).
Top Three Problems Facing the People Based on the Healthy People 2020
Based on the community health indicators identified by the healthy people 2020, the three critical areas that affect the population in King`s County are alcohol and drug abuse, violence, and work related problems. Alcohol and drug abuse in the region is significantly higher with the reflection of the same being exhibited in the behavioral crimes such as domestic violence, child negligence and abuse, and sexual misconduct. This appears to significantly undermine the realization of goal number four of Healthy People 2020 which is to “promote quality of life, healthy development, and healthy behaviors across all life stages (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2011).” The region has a significant number of the older adults being involved in drug abuse and alcoholism at one point of their lives. The incidences were reported by the families in the events of abscond of duties and responsibilities by the patients and through the workstations that fired people owing to excess use of alcohol and drug abuse (Banks, Hazen, Coben, Wang & Griffith, 2009, p. 8 ).
Violence is significantly high in the region with prevalence being more in ethnic groups other than White Americans. Violence in the community includes domestic and behavioral crimes that are significantly tied to alcoholism and substance abuse. The high rate of violence undermines realization of goal number three of the Healthy People 2020 which looks to “create social and physical environments that promote good health for all (CDC, 2011). Studies have indicated that poverty significantly contributes to the crimes with the people living below the poverty line being twice likely to indulge in violence than the people living above the poverty line.
Work related injuries is an equally significant health concern for the King’s County community. Work related injuries derails realization of goal number one of the Healthy People 2020 which looks to “attain high-quality, longer lives free of preventable disease, disability, injury, and premature death (CDC, 2011).” Being a self-insured county, King County provides compensation for all work related injuries involving county employees. If the increasing cases of this type of injuries is not addressed, however, the community may have to pay huge amounts as compensation in the future.
One Area for Further Research
The analysis of the population health in King`s County in the lens of the community health indicators established by the healthy people 2020 indicated that violence in the region was prevalent and affected the social, economic, and governance of the county (HealthCare.gov, 2014). The incidences of violence that included domestic violence, gender related violence, child abuse, unruly conduct, among others were on the rise in the County. The causes of the increase in the crimes and the vices had not been well established with the studies indicating a broad range of risk factors and associated problems. The investigations done in the area had identified potential risk factors and exposures that led to the violence incidences in the area. However, the studies did not indicate the extent of the influence of the risk factors to the violence incidences and the relationship between the risk factors and the violence. It would be critical to determine the extent of the influence of the risk factors and the possible relationship between the risk factors for the policy makers to utilize the information to design improved programs and regulations to curb the incidences (Thomas, 2004).
Community Resources Available to Address the Problem
The Human health and service department, the American Nursing Association, the Health Resources and Services Administration, National Association of Local Boards of Health, National Institute of Health, and Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration are among the available community resources that can be utilized to curb the issue. The American Nursing Association, through its state networks, requires that employers run comprehensive workplace violence programs to protect nurses. The National Association of Local Boards of Health, on the other hand, is an important resource for addressing the problem of violence especially considering the various injury and violence programs implemented by local boards of health. The National Institute of Health is an equally significant resource as it offers a range of evidence-based interventions that are based on peer-reviewed research. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, on the other hand, is a particularly important resource especially considering the close relationship between substance abuse and violence.
Primary Prevention for the Identified Problem
The primary prevention plan for the violence in the community would be based to addressing the critical risk and causative factors in the County. The leading factors to the violence in the region had been identified as poverty, alcohol and substance use (National Institute of Health, 2016, p. 3). The problem of poverty can be eradicated by the County Government direct recruitment of the marginalized communities and the families living below the poverty line. Strong social and economic structures should be fostered in the community through establishment of economic ventures that will provide jobs and business opportunities for the people. Alcohol, drug, and substance use will be controlled by establishing policies that will Govern their use and the legal consenquencies of alcohol and substance use related violence (USPHS.gov, 2016).
Conclusion
As highlighted in the current assessment, the King County community has probably some of the best community health facilities and programs. In addition to a comprehensive occupational safety program, the county has an up-to-date Regional Hazard Mitigation Plan (RHMP) among other resources. Despite its status as a relatively healthy community, the county needs to improve how its health programs respond to the needs of minority groups. In regard to prevention of work-related injuries, however, the county appears to be well placed to meet the Healthy People 2020 goals on this area.
References
Banks, D., Hazen, A. L., Coben, J. H., Wang, K., & Griffith, J. D. (2009). Collaboration between
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2011, October 14). Healthy People 2020. Retrieved on 26 July 2016 from http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/healthy_people/hp2020.htm
child welfare agencies and domestic violence service providers: Relationship with child welfare policies and practices for addressing domestic violence. Children and Youth Services Review, 43(7), 3-8. doi:10.1016/j.childyouth.2008.10.005
Don, W. (2016). Who`s Leading the Leading Healthcare Indicators? Available at:
HealthCare.gov. (2014). Health Insurance Market place. Retrieved on 20 June 2016 from https://www.healthcare.gov.
Healthypeople.gov (2016). Leading Health Indicators: Injury and Violence. Retrieved on 20 June 2016 from: http://www.healthypeople.gov/2020/leading-health-indicators/2020-lhi- topics/Injury-and-Violence
HHS.gov. (2014). Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA). Retrieved on 20 June 2016 fromhttp://www.hhs.gov/about/foa/opdivs/hrsa.html.
http://www.healthypeople.gov/sites/default/files/HP2020Jan2016LHIWebinar508.pdf
Kingcountry.gov (2016). Kingcounty. Available at: http://www.kingcounty.gov/
NIH. (2016). National Institute of Health. Retrieved on 20 June 2016 from http://www.nih.gov/.
Oberwittler, D., & Wikström, P. H. (2008). Why Small Is Better: Advancing the Study of the Role of Behavioral Contexts in Crime Causation. Behavioral Crime Studies, 37(5), 13-20. doi:10.1007/978-0-387-09688-9_2
OIG.HHS.gov. (2016). Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). Retrieved on 20 June 2016 from https://oig.hhs.gov/reports-and publications/oas/samhsa.asp/.
Thomas, E. J. (2004). Building a Statutory Shelter for Victims of Domestic Violence: The United States Housing Act and Violence Against Women Act in Collaboration. Behavioral Crime Studies, 46(79), 11-16.
USPHS.gov. (2016). HHS Offices and Agencies-U.S Public Health Service. Retrieved on 20 June 2016 from http://www.usphs.gov/aboutus/agencies/hhs.aspx.
