C229 Task 1 Paper Complete Solution
B. Problem Description:
My primary prevention topic is Overweight and Obesity, prevention of overweight and obesit
... [Show More] y through healthy nutrition and physical activity. Monterey county is the sixteenth largest county in California and is located on the central coast with a total size of 3,771 square miles. Monterey county is 120 miles south of San Francisco and 280 miles north of Los Angeles. Monterey County has a population of 435,232 with the two major ethnicities being Hispanic 58.3% and White 30.3%. The percentage of population under 65 without health insurance is 11.9%. The largest city in Monterey County is Salinas and is the county seat as well. The western and southern peninsula along with eastern portion of Prunedale are the most affluent. Along the coast from Big Sur in the south to Moss Landing in the North, the major economic business is tourism. Monterey county has 8 State Parks/Reserves and 5 National Parks/Forest and Sanctuaries and there are numerous activities and events provided on a monthly basis for community participation. The rich soil of the Salinas valley makes Monterey County the third largest agricultural county in California, and has been known as the salad bowl capital of the world. Monterey County is composed of 13 School Districts with the three largest being: Salinas Union High School District (11 schools), North Monterey County Unified School District (5 schools) and Carmel Unified School District (5 schools). Within the Salinas city limits, the percentage of Hispanics is 86.9%. Of the families of children under 18 years of age within Salinas, 22.5% are receiving public assistance. The poverty rate in Salinas compared to the whole of Monterey county is 20.2% to 15.3% (DataUSA 2017). The city of Salinas is surrounded by agricultural farming on all sides with a very dense downtown district. Driving down South Main street you see many homeless people walking past empty storefronts with older style construction mainly of brick. The buildings that sit on either side of main street are no taller than 4 stories. Parks are sparse and spread out throughout the city limits. There is an equal number of people living in houses as compared to apartments according to the Comprehensive Housing Analysis performed by US Department of Housing and Urban Development. The percentage of Hispanics within the Salinas Valley area is due to the large agricultural economy. Spanish is the primary language spoken in most households, 63.9% and of those same households 58.3% state that they don't speak english “well” (Statistical Atlas). The target population for my assessment is the Hispanic community of Monterey county.
C1. Health Inequity or Disparity
The Hispanic community in Monterey county is at a health inequity due to many reasons, such as cultural, income, status of residence and language. Their root causes are embedded in minority status and include inadequate access to health care, greater exposure to multiple lifestyle factors negatively affecting health behaviors, greater occupational hazards, higher rates of cumulative adversity, and exposure to adverse residential-environmental conditions over the life course. Health disparities are seen, for Hispanics, in: Diabetes, liver disease and cancers of the liver and stomach. The Hispanic population is an important group to understand because it is projected to comprise 29% of the nations population by 2050. An understanding of the health inequities and disparities present now will only aid as we move forward in years to come (Askim-Lovseth 2010). On the Central Coast of California the Hispanic population has grown from 47% in 2000 to 56% in 2012 (2013 M. County). Diabetes rates for Hispanics are significantly higher compared to non-Hispanic. Close to 50% of Hispanic adults report never having cancer screenings. Nearly 25% of Hispanic residents in Monterey county live under the poverty line.
C2. Current Primary Community and Prevention Resources
Currently Monterey County utilizes many programs to promote a healthy lifestyle. There are multiple after school programs which keep kids active and stay out of trouble. The city of Salinas has created resources that encompass everything from drug and alcohol prevention to youth empowerment and skill development programs. The Community Partnership for Youth is exciting because it provides an environment where good choices in their lives now can lead to a full and successful life. The Monterey County Food Bank runs a program called The Emergency Food Assistance Program which will provide food items to families, on a sliding scale, dependent on monthly income. Family Market is another seasonal program provided by Food Bank at no cost to participants which provides fresh fruits and vegetable in a Farmers market style environment. Nutrition Education And Obesity Prevention (NEOP) program is a state run, Federally funded program from the USDA that brings low income families resources such as EBT funds which can aid in providing nutritious food items on the tables. Champions for Change is the local program supported by the NEOP. It strives to reduce the prevalence of overweight and obesity among low-income families by increasing knowledge of healthy eating and active living where people live, learn, work, plant, pray and shop(Obesity 2017).
C3. Underlying Causes
Salinas Valley is an agricultural mecca that as stated prior thrives and needs low-income migrant farm workers in order to operate. Many of these people live on a meager income and are at or below the poverty line. The primary expense for these workers is there housing. Food becomes the last priority and the only logical direction they have to go is to cheap processed [Show Less]