Kempsville District was established in 1781 and remained the capital of the then Princess Anne County from 1778 to 1823. The county seat was then moved to Princess Anne, Virginia. Kempsville lies on the eastern branch of river Elizabeth. Due to this strategic location, Kempsville served as a port for transporting goods to and from the central and western parts of Princess Anne County (City of Virginia Beach, n.d., Historic Kempsville, para. 1). Transportation in the area was mainly via rivers. The area had vast, dispersed farms making agriculture the main pattern of development.
Kempsville became under colonial rule after the civil war. Consequently, it ceased to be a thriving area of a farming community. The rapid urbanization and road constructions obliterated the concentration of historical structures of the district. The area now known as Kempsville surrounds Kempsville Road, Princess Anne Road, and the South Witchduck Road intersection. Commercial multifamily land use is mainly common near the arterial roads. Furthermore, there is a mixture of commercial and industrial land uses along the military highway. Small office developments are scattered throughout the area while large office developments are found along the Greenwich Road and Grayson Road (City of Virginia Beach, 2003, p. 229). The Kempsville authorities have also established a hurricane evacuation route at Interstate 64 to help manage hurricane disasters as it traverses Kempsville planning area (City of Virginia Beach, 2003, p.236).
The current total population of Kempsville is 135,367 with a male population being 64,810 and that of female being 70,558 (Point 2 homes, n.d., Kempsville Population Demographics, para. 1). The number of people employed in the white collar jobs in the district is 25,732 (Point 2 homes, n.d., occupational employment in Kempsville, para. 1). On the other hand, 13,116 people are engaged in blue-collar jobs (Point 2 homes, n.d., occupational employment in Kempsville, para. 1). There are a total of 51,137 households in Kempsville (Point 2 homes, n.d., number of households in Kempsville, para. 1). Out of this number, 36,077 households constitute a family (Point 2 homes, n.d., number of households in Kempsville, para. 1). On the other hand, non-family households in the district are approximately 15,060 (Point 2 homes, n.d., number of households in Kempsville, para. 1). The families with children are averagely 19,222 while those without children are about 31,915 (Point 2 homes, n.d., number of households in Kempsville, para. 1).
Concerning the level of education attained by the residents, there are 1977 people with no high school education living in Kempsville (Point 2 homes, n.d., Kempsville education statistics, para. 1). On the other hand, 5549 residents have a high school education (Point 2 homes, n.d., Kempsville education statistics, para. 1). The number of people with college education, on the other hand, is 24,701 while 904 have associate degrees (Point 2 homes, n.d., Kempsville education statistics, para. 1). Moreover, 17,577 have bachelor’s degree while averagely 8,202 have graduate degrees (Point 2 homes, n.d., Kempsville education statistics, para. 1).
The average household income in Kempsville is $70, 637 (Point 2 homes, n.d., household income and average income in Kempsville, para. 1). On the other hand, the median household income in the region is $62,839 and the average household total expenditure is $55,167 (Point 2 homes, n.d., household income and average income in Kempsville, para. 1).
According to the community health needs assessment conducted by Sentara Virginia Beach General Hospital in 2013 in the area served by the hospital (including Kemspvile community), the following priority health problems were identified (Sentara Virginia Beach General Hospital, 2013):
Obesity
Diabetes
Heart diseases/high blood pressure
Cancer
Behavioral health
According to the survey conducted by the Sentara Virginia Beach General Hospital (2013), the residents of Virginia Beach city view adult obesity as the greatest health concern. Other health concerns are diabetes, childhood obesity, and heart disease. HIV/AIDS is not viewed as a serious health concern since only 18% reported it as a serious concern in the survey (Sentara Virginia Beach General Hospital, 2013). In the same survey, the members of the community were asked to identify the community services that are important to address their health needs that need strengthening (Sentara Virginia Beach General Hospital, 2013). In this case, the survey found that the following community services need strengthening according to the members of the community (Sentara Virginia Beach General Hospital, 2013):
Behavioral health services
Healthcare services for the insured and underinsured
Homeless services
Aging services
Oral healthcare services for adults
In general, lifestyle diseases are the main health problems facing members of Kempsville community just like the members of the entire Virginia Beach city. Therefore, health promotion programs targeting the members of the community living in Kempsville District should be aimed at addressing the need for lifestyle changes in the community. For instance, there is the need for promoting awareness of the dangers associated with smoking, eating behaviors involving diets high in cholesterol, and little physical activity since these are the main risk factors for most lifestyle diseases such as obesity. Promotion of physical activity among the members of the community can be accomplished by improving the various recreational facilities. Fortunately, efforts are being made to improve the recreational infrastructure of the community. For instance, the construction of a new Kempsville recreational center is ongoing. The center is projected to be complete early 2017. Once completed, the center will provide more efficient recreational services to the community. Media-based health promotion strategies can also significantly help improve health-related behaviors in the community. There is also the need for the members of the community to be educated on healthy dietary practices as well as health lifestyle practices.
The Institution of national health care decisions day is another health promotion strategy applicable in the district. On this occasion, adults are given an opportunity to identify what their health choices would be if they were unable to make their health decisions. These decisions are recorded in a directive to make others aware of them. These documented pieces of information are useful in protecting ones’ legal rights and making sure medical wishes are honored if individuals are unable to manage their care.
In conclusion, Kempsville is a community exposed to various environmental hazards, infiltrated by communicable diseases, and threatened by chronic illnesses. Therefore, health promotion strategies are required to sensitize the members of the community on the need to adopt healthy lifestyle practices.
References
Point 2 homes. (n.d.). Kempsville Population Demographics and Statistics. Retrieved from <http://www.point2homes.com/US/Neighborhood/VA/Virginia-Beach/Kempsville-Demographics.html>
Sentara Virginia Beach General Hospital. (2013). Sentara Virginia Beach General Hospital Community Health Needs Assessment 2013. Retrieved from https://www.sentara.com/Assets/Pdf/About-Us/Community-Health-Needs-Assessments/Sentara-Virginia-Beach-Complete-CHNA-2013-Final.pdf
