The purpose of this assignment is to research cultural differences and public health issues that are unique to specific communities and cultures to address community public health needs.
Throughout Weeks 1-4 of the course, you will participate in a series of Collaborative Learning Community (CLC) assignments. These assignments will build upon one another and be used as the basis for the Reflective Journal assignments throughout the course.
Developing cross-cultural competence is paramount when leading, managing, and building partnership to leverage community and organizational strengths in the public health sector.
Conduct research about your own community or a culture of your choice that is prevalent within your community. Once you have identified your community/cultural group, use the Healthy People topic material, “2020 Topics and Objectives – Objectives A-Z,” to select a goal that will be the focus of your community health intervention. After selecting a goal, review the “Objectives,” “Interventions and Resources,” and “National Snapshots” tabs to obtain additional information about the goal.
Example: Goal: Reduce the disease burden of diabetes mellitus (DM) and improve the quality of life for all person who have, or are at risk for, DM.
NOTE: You may not select diabetes mellitus (DM) for your project.
After the goal has been selected, conduct additional research that will help you formulate strategies for managing the goal-related health issue within the selected community/culture. In your research, address the following. You are required to cite to four to five sources to complete this assignment. Sources must be published within the last 5 years and appropriate for the assignment criteria and public health content. Share your findings with group members by creating a short PowerPoint presentation that includes speaker notes and addresses the following:
- Summarize the community/culture that was researched.
- Identify the heath goal that is the focus of the intervention.
- Explain how culture and other factors impact the social organization and leadership of the community.
- Describe three social networks or ethnic organizations that could be used to learn about the social organization of the group, and to identify and engage its leaders.
- List three challenges that could be encountered when working in this community or culture.
Share your PowerPoint presentation with the members of your CLC group. Negotiate with one another to prioritize the goal and intervention presented by each member of the group. Select one of the goals and interventions presented as the basis for a group project focused on identifying a goal-related health issue and an intervention that can be implemented at the community level.
In 500-750 words, discuss the following:
- Provide a summary of each group member’s community/culture and the health-related goal and intervention that was proposed.
- Summarize the negotiation and prioritization process your group used select the goal that is the focus of the intervention.
- Provide background information on the health issue and your planned intervention.
- Using the “Objectives” tab, select three objectives associated with the goal and list them.
- Describe the proposed intervention, including the purpose and intended outcomes for the intervention.
- Describe the target population for your intervention and justify selection of this population.
- Identify cultural facilitators, such as community leaders, organizations, social networks, etc., that could assist with addressing the goal and implementing the intervention.
- List three challenges that might be encountered when working in this community or culture.
Read Chapters 22-24 in Public Health Leadership: Putting Principles Into Practice.
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Read “Building a Culture of Health,” located on the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation website.
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Read “Section 1. Learning How to Be a Community Leader” of Chapter 14 of Leadership and Management, located on the Community Toolbox website.
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Read “Section 10. Understanding Culture, Social Organization, and Leadership to Enhance Engagement” of Chapter 27 of Cultural Competence and Spirituality in Community Building, located on the Community Toolbox website.
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Read “Taking Action,” located on the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation website.
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Utilize “2020 Topics and Objectives – Objectives A-Z,” located on the Healthy People 2020 website, to select a goal-related health issue for the topic assignment.
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Review the Resources page of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation website.
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References
American Psychological Association. (2020). Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (7th Ed.). Washington, DC: Author.
Expert Solution Preview
Introduction:
The assignment is focused on researching cultural differences and public health issues that are unique to specific communities and cultures to address community public health needs. The objective of this assignment is to develop cross-cultural competence that is essential when leading, managing, and building partnerships to leverage community and organizational strengths in the public health sector. This assignment requires conducting research about a specific community or culture prevalent in the area to select a health goal from the Healthy People topic material, “2020 Topics and Objectives – Objectives A-Z”. The research will help in formulating strategies for managing goal-related healthcare issues within the selected community/culture and addressing the challenges. This answer will address each question separately.
Question 1:
Summarize the community/culture that was researched.
The community/culture researched is the Hispanic community in the United States. Hispanics represent the largest and fastest-growing ethnic group that constitutes almost 18.3% of the total US population (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services [USDHHS], 2017). The Hispanic community is diverse and includes people from different countries, ethnicities, and cultures, making it difficult to have a homogeneous approach.
Question 2:
Identify the health goal that is the focus of the intervention.
The health goal that is the focus of the intervention is to reduce the incidence of childhood obesity among the Hispanic community by promoting healthy eating habits and physical activity.
Question 3:
Explain how culture and other factors impact the social organization and leadership of the community.
Culture and other factors impact the social organization and leadership in the Hispanic community. Hispanics have strong cultural values that affect their lifestyle, decision-making, and behavior. The collectivistic culture of Hispanics emphasizes family and community values. Therefore, social organization and leadership within the community are highly influenced by family and community bonds. Social interactions and communication happen mostly within the Hispanic community, making it hard to reach out to them through conventional channels. Disparities in income, education, and healthcare coverage also impact social organization and leadership.
Question 4:
Describe three social networks or ethnic organizations that could be used to learn about the social organization of the group, and to identify and engage its leaders.
Three social networks or ethnic organizations that could be used to learn about the social organization of the Hispanic community and identify and engage its leaders are:
1. National Hispanic Medical Association.
2. League of United Latin American Citizens.
3. National Association of Hispanic Nurses.
Question 5:
List three challenges that could be encountered when working in this community or culture.
Three challenges that could be encountered when working in the Hispanic community are:
1. Language Barrier: Hispanics have a unique communication style, language proficiency varies, and sometimes there might be discrepancies in translating health terminology.
2. Health literacy: Often, Hispanics have limited education as well as limited knowledge of health issues, which may make it challenging to provide public health information and resources.
3. Fear or mistrust of the healthcare system: To overcome this challenge, establishing trust and developing cultural sensitivity is essential in promoting health care utilization in the community.
Reference:
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. (2017). Understanding the Hispanic/Latino culture[PDF]. Retrieved from https://www.minorityhealth.hhs.gov/omh/content.aspx?ID=10238.
