Introduction
Generally, the primary approach to managing the health of a given population group is by engaging in preventive measures to stop the disease from developing. The citizens of Sentinel town are facing various health problems following their economic status that hinder them from accessing better care services. The concerns are a threat to the well-being of the population. By assessing possible health issues and their determinants, it becomes easier to develop relevant evidence-based approaches to curb the conditions in the community.
Population Assessment
Sentinel town is a virtual community that contains different population groups living in a rural setting. The demographic assessment was conducted by touring the area through the website platform. During the process, the focus was based on the elderly health conditions irrespective of ethnicity or gender. The overall population of the town is approximately 800 individuals. Based on the previous statistics, about 8% of the total people in the region are children below five years (“Sentinelworld.healthcarelearninginnovations.com,” 2022). Moreover, young adults that are 18 years of age and below are less than 25% and 12% of the number of individuals in the rural area above 66years old. Majority of the people that is over 26% are aged between 25 and 45 years (“Sentinelworld.healthcarelearninginnovations.com,” 2022). Based on ethnic classes, Sentinel town contains a mixture of communities. The white Americans make the biggest percentage of people living in the Sentinel town consisting of over 80% (“Sentinelworld.healthcarelearninginnovations.com,” 2022). Hispanic populations are about 10%, and the rest include Caucasians, Asians, African Americas, and other races such as American Indians.
The median income of the people living in the region is approximately $25,050 whereby the mean household earning translates to around $80,250 per year. In addition, over 21% of the people living in Sentinel town are experiencing poverty implying that about 80 citizens are lives below the poverty level. Concerning health insurance coverage, only about 65% of the individuals are insured (“Sentinelworld.healthcarelearninginnovations.com,” 2022). During the process, there were no constructive data retrieved covering the rate of unemployment and homelessness. This may mean the town does not have a high number of people without homes as well as jobs.
Health Issues Affecting Hispanic Population
Limited Health Care Facilities
During the virtual navigation of the rural community, there were limited hospitals in the region. This implies that people hardly access care facilities in time in case of emergencies. The distance from one clinic to another was significant which required the individuals to travel over a long period to obtain the services. Following the road conditions, the ease of accessing the hospitals is low. Furthermore, there are limited buildings to accommodate patients in the facilities making it difficult to admit a large number of inpatients.
Substance Abuse
Based on the data I managed to collect, a large percentage of the people living in Sentinel town are abusing substances in the region. The previous research data indicates that the rate of tobacco consumption was around 18% and alcohol at approximately 16%. The majority of the people mainly abuse the two substances in the rural community. Similarly, the findings revealed that marijuana is common and its usage is roughly 10% of the Sentinel town population. Other drugs including cocaine and heroin usage by the group are below 7%.
Obesity and Overweight Issue
The people in Sentinel town are experiencing a high rate of obesity in the community. This has increased the diabetic condition of the individuals hence becoming a significant health challenge. The rural community lacks adequate parks where people can conduct physical activities including playing games. Similarly, the rising consumption of illicit drugs such as tobacco and alcohol are the forefront contributors to the rising overweight amongst the Sentinel Citizens.
Determinants of Health Issues
There are several determinants that contribute to the key health issues facing the Hispanic population in the rural community. In the case of limited healthcare facilities, relevant causes include low-income levels, reduced social support, social status, neighborhood, and physical environment. Moreover, in the case of substance abuse, key contributors are genetic factors, social, gender, income level, education, mental health condition, peer pressure, limited family involvement, and popularity. In the case of overweight people, the main elements causing it include genetics, eating habits, physical activities, sleep, sedentariness, economic stability, built environment, access to education, and community context.
Common Issues People Living in Urban Centers Encounters
Hispanic individuals living in urban centers are exposed to several concerns. For instance, people are likely to face a high level of air pollution which is harmful to their health. In the city, there are several activities including transportation that involves the use of fossil fuels, when the gases are released into the atmosphere, they contaminate the fresh air. However, in the rural community, the group toxic air is not common because such activities are limited.
The population group living in urban are likely to encounter obesity challenges. Since overweight is determined by genetics and eating habits, the individuals may have an unhealthy diet that contributes to the obese conditions. Another common concern is substance abuse, the people in urban have the potential of accessing the drugs because of interaction with other communities. This makes the usage of the illicit substances more common among them than among people in the rural setting,
Evidence-Based Health Promotion and Intervention
The relevant approach suitable for promoting healthcare in Sentinel town is through a social media campaign. The technique will create awareness about the overweight health issue. By communicating the importance of healthcare to the Hispanic population group, the individuals will value their lives and begin engaging in healthy living styles to avoid possible encounters with obesity. The community promotion will entail educating the people on determinants of obesity and relevant ways of managing the causes (Rubenfeld & Scheffer, 2015). The practice will inform the individuals effectively hence lowering the chances of one becoming overweight (Finn, 2011). On the matter of limited healthcare facilities, the promotion will focus on the adoption of telehealth services to facilitate remote access to nurses. The target will be highlighting to the people how e-health will enhance the ease of obtaining effective care delivery despite the distance. Concerning substance abuse, infographics depicting the side effects of cocaine, marijuana, and alcohol will be displayed on the online platform to educate the group about the side effects of drug usage. During the intervention, the rural or urban location will not change the intervention approaches because the criteria are suitable for both regions.
Conclusion
The virtual assessment of Sentinel town portrays a number of health issues the Hispanic population group in the rural community encounters. The challenges are majorly influenced by the social and economic status of the people. Some of the concerns such as substance abuse are common even to the individuals of the group living in urban. In order to promote healthcare understanding among the population, the social media campaign is appropriate because it enables the information to reach many people.
References
Finn, P. (2011). Critical thinking: Knowledge and skills for evidence-based practice, Language, speech, and hearing services in schools, American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (42), 69–72.
Rubenfeld, M. G., & Scheffer, B.K. (2015). Critical thinking TACTICS for nurses: Achieving the IOM competencies (2nd ed.). Sudbury, MA: Jones and Bartlett.