A high-quality health delivery system is essential to ensure that all members of the community receive medical help in a timely and efficient manner. Reading the Leading Health Indicators: Progress Update report has allowed me to gain a comprehensive understanding of the current status of the major health indicators. In addition, it helped me to identify several issues related to the health of the people in my community.
One example that can be discussed concerning those health issues is Adolescents with major depressive episodes (percent, 12–17 years), an indicator from the Mental Health category (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2017). Recent studies have shown that mental disorders are becoming increasingly common among children and adolescents across the country (“Mental Health | Healthy People 2020”, 2022). Similar trends have been observed in my community, as I have communicated with several adolescents who have demonstrated symptoms of depression and mental instability. In many cases, these symptoms include feelings of helplessness, hopelessness, despair, excessive guilt, anxiety, and disinterest in other people or activities. It is crucial to take the necessary action as early as possible to avoid aggravating the condition.
The second indicator that I view as one of the health issues in my community is Obesity among adults, an indicator from the Nutrition, Physical Activity, and Obesity category (Harkness & DeMarco, 2016). This problem is currently a major concern in my community because it increases the risk of other health issues and complications, such as “heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, and certain cancers” (“Obesity – Symptoms and Causes”, 2022). In addition, this issue can be worsened by the fact that in my community, many people suffering from obesity are often unwilling to seek medical help. This may be caused by certain insecurities or the fact that people may be convinced that they do not have any health problems.
It can be argued that these, as well as other health issues common among the members of my community, occur mainly due to existing health disparities. One issue that can be reported as an example is the large number of uninsured and underinsured individuals. According to the Kaiser Family Foundation, “states with the largest populations of Black Americans, especially in the South, see disproportionately higher rates of uninsured people” (The Kaiser Family Foundation, 2017). Not everyone equally owns the public good of being insured and this is a serious problem.
Another disparity that is characteristic of my community is related to mental health. While the rates of mental disorders among teenagers are raising, the community does not pay sufficient attention to the segments of the population where these conditions are more likely and more serious (U.S. Census Bureau, 2017). For example, young people in the juvenile justice system are about 60% more likely to have major depressive episodes or other mental problems (County Health Rankings, 2017). However, not enough effort is being made to treat these conditions in adolescents who either have been or remain in the juvenile justice system.
To raise public awareness and help the community to address the issues discussed above, I would meet with some community leaders to develop and review a necessary action plan. I would meet with the Chief Physician of the local hospital to discuss their opinion about the problem and possible solutions. I would also meet with the Chairman of the Committee on Health to talk about the policies that can help to minimize the risks associated with these health issues. Finally, I would meet with the head of the local volunteer organization to talk about community efforts that can be made to contribute to the solution of the problem.
To conclude, it can be stated that health indicators are highly important tools to assess the current state of the health delivery system in a community. In the case of the community I live in, two health issues that have been identified are Adolescents with major depressive episodes and Obesity among adults. To solve these issues and minimize risks associated with them, community leaders from the fields of public healthcare and policymaking need to unite and develop a comprehensive approach to each problem.
References
Harkness, G. A., & DeMarco, R. F. (2016). Community and public health nursing: Evidence for practice. Wolters Kluwer.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). (2017). National Center for Health Statistics.
County Health Rankings. (2017). How healthy is your community?
Mental Health | Healthy People 2020. Healthypeople.gov. (2022). Web.
Obesity – Symptoms and causes. Mayo Clinic. (2022).
The Kaiser Family Foundation. (2017). State health facts.
U.S. Census Bureau. (2017). American fact finder. Web.