Essay C229 Community Health & Population Focused Nursing. Western Governors University.A. Community Health Field Experience Time log – attached
B.
... [Show More] Community Health Nursing Diagnosis Statement
There are numerous issues related to health problems in the Polk County area. My focus is
on an increased risk of obesity among school aged children and young adults related to lack of
nutritional intake and physical activities as demonstrated by increased obesity rates in the
community of Lake Wales by comparing and assessing available products, resources and
exercise/physical activities available. My emphasis will be aimed at promoting an overall healthier
lifestyle by understanding why there is a higher rate of obesity in the community due to product
availability and affordability, income levels of the population, food desert related to affordability,
and assessing/comparing the local facilities and schools that offer physical activities.
B1. Health Inequity or Disparity
Lake Wales is located in Polk County, which is the largest county in the state of Florida but is
also one of the poorest as far as income, which leads to the health inequity of a food desert, not so
much in availability but in affordability (Florida Health, 2018). Lower income and poverty have a
direct correlation with an increase in obesity, as well as a person’s overall health and well-being.
According to the state, Hispanics and African Americans that live in lower income or povertystricken areas are 1.5 times more likely to be obese (Ogden, et al 2012). There are other disparities
in the area related to obesity and healthy living such as access to care, transportation, and education.
The obesity rates are much higher among the lower income families and is inversely related to
healthy eating and active living. While the area has a large number of physicians, there is a
significant number of people in the community that do not have insurance coverage. Transportation
is another area that impedes a healthy lifestyle in that if a person does not have transportation, they
are limited in the places they can go to obtain food or do participate in physical activity (city data,
2016). [Show Less]