Data Collection
Demographics
The total population of Baltimore City estimates to more than 600,000 residents (Baltimore City Health Department [BCHD], 2017a). The community of such neighborhoods as Pimlico, Hilltop, and Arlington is around 11,000 people (BCHD, 2017b). The age group with most residents is represented by adults of 25 to 44 years, followed by adults of 45 to 64 years and children and adolescents of 0 to 17 years. This data shows that the city has residents from different age groups and has many generations, whose individuals needs differ from one another. The rates of male and female citizens are almost equal, with 53% of females and 47% of males living in Baltimore City (BCHD, 2017a). Most residents of the city are Black, with white being the next most represented group. However, such neighborhoods as Pimlico are predominantly inhabited by Black people, as more than 90% of all residents identify as Black or African American (BCHD, 2017b).
According to these reports, Baltimore City has a high rate of children living in one-parent families, with Pimlico having more than 70% of such households (BCHD, 2017b). Moreover, many of the residents do not have a higher education, as almost a half of respondents stated that they had some level of college education (BCHD, 2017b). The rate of white residents with higher education is almost three times higher than that of Black people. The data about income groups yields similar results, as white people comprise the predominant part of the population with an income higher than $75,000 (BCHD, 2014). The median outcome for the city is roughly $40,000 (BCHD, 2017a).
Community status
Various factors influence the state of the community in Baltimore City. According to the BCHD (2017c), many neighborhoods have distinct characteristics because of their historic group formations. For example, many residential areas are mostly populated by Black people, while only one community in the city is predominantly white. The history of the town includes various policies that prohibited Black people from moving into “white neighborhoods,” and the effects of such segregation are still present in the mapping of the city to this day (BCHD, 2017c, p. 8). Similar guidelines also portrayed areas with a predominantly Black population as “high risk.” Such restrictions created poorer conditions for Black residents and put them in neighborhoods with less comfortable living conditions. Safety remains a challenge for these residential areas. Nevertheless, the discussed part of the city is devoid of any industrial buildings, which keeps the air clean, although abandoned houses in the area affect the overall environment (BCHD, 2017b).
The Latino population of the city is growing fast, although it is also concentrated in some areas (BCHD, 2017c). The official report outlines a number of unique assets of this group, namely their lower rate of mortality and smoking. However, these residents are more likely not to have insurance. The statistic also notes higher rates of alcohol consumption (BCHD, 2017c). The percentages of other individuals obtaining insurance are continuously increasing for both Black and white non-Hispanic residents. Graduation rates are also growing. On the other hand, many Baltimore city residents still have a low income of less than $25,000 per year (BCHD, 2017c).
Data Collection Gaps and Data Generation
The data presented in the official publications and studies seem to reflect many challenges and strength of the city’s communities. Moreover, it analyzes various data relevant to the main health problems of Baltimore city. However, one problem may be studied further. The lack of information about the food and water quality in the city does not fully reveal the state of residents’ access to healthy food. While the health reports show that the city has many food deserts, it does not examine the contents of the stores, giving no information about the citizens’ access to fresh vegetables, fruit, and other foods (Buczynski, Freishtat, & Buzogany, 2015). Such information can help researchers analyze the main health-related problems of residents and create a more beneficial intervention.
Such data can be obtained in the city by visiting local stores and talking to representatives and residents about the quality of sold products. To get more information about the quality of food in Baltimore City, one can visit its central grocery stores and talk to their visitors and managers about the freshness of products, average prices, and accessibility of healthy foods. Here, a survey with all relevant questions would fit for information gathering.
Diagnosis
This assessment reveals that the improvement of safety and food quality, reducing the disparity between neighborhoods’ residents, and supporting one-parent households have to be the primary priorities of the city. All residents of Baltimore city are among its key stakeholders, along with local medical workers, government officials, and product suppliers. The primary assets of the community groups discussed in the subjective part of the paper are their strong relationships and the presence of a major hospital in the area. Moreover, the gathered data show that the quality of life is increasing in the neighborhood.
The Sinai Hospital may serve as a resource for health education, while local race course may influence residents’ health concerns. Many citizens may need better food and access to fresh products. The problem of food deserts seems to be affecting Baltimore city and especially its areas with predominantly Black residents. The issue of safety also has to be addressed. Moreover, the concern of unequal treatment of neighborhoods also deserves attention (Gomez, 2016).
Intervention and Evidence Behind Intervention
The issue of safety and violence is especially severe in such neighborhoods as Pimlico (BCHD, 2017b). An intervention bringing support to the residents may increase their quality of life and help their children to feel safer in the future. This issue is closely connected to the state of group segregation in the neighborhood, where the homicide and youth homicide rates are high. An intervention could include preventive strategies to decrease violence through counseling and conflict resolution. Moreover, people that are admitted to hospitals due to a conflict-related injury can be consulted to reduce readmissions. The intervention needs the help of the city’s hospital and the support of the government, along with finances for awareness campaigns and counseling efforts.
This intervention could be measured by the rate of conflicts and homicide incidents, along with related hospital admissions and readmissions. Counseling in schools and community healthcare establishments can be used to help children and parents deal with violence-related problems. The first step would be to communicate with local counselors, school representatives, and government officials to discuss this intervention. Next, counseling sessions and awareness campaigns can take place. The intervention may take multiple months to perform.
Evaluation
The performed intervention yielded a number of results. First of all, it created a framework of support for children with family problems and influenced the rate of conflicts that affect families and result in violent incidents. However, the issue of safety is too broad to be mitigated in such a small timeframe. Therefore, the goals of this intervention are hard to meet without strong governmental support. The process of conflict mitigation revealed the presence of biases surrounding different sides of the conflict, including officials and city’s residents (Gomez, 2016). Many of the disputes stem from historical segregation. The next steps could include further education of children and adults about conflict resolution and the focus on addressing the issue of group segregation.
References
Baltimore City Health Department. (2014). Baltimore community health survey 2014: Summary results report. Web.
Baltimore City Health Department. (2017a). Baltimore City 2017 neighborhood health profile. Web.
Baltimore City Health Department. (2017b). Baltimore City 2017 neighborhood health profile: Pimlico/Arlington/Hilltop. Web.
Baltimore City Health Department. (2017c). Community health assessment. Web.
Buczynski, A. B., Freishtat, H., & Buzogany, S. (2015). Mapping Baltimore food environment: 2015 report. Web.
Gomez, M. B. (2016). Policing, community fragmentation, and public health: Observations from Baltimore. Journal of Urban Health, 93(1), 154-167.