Community Assessment 1
Community Assessment and Analysis Project
Community Assessment and Analysis Project
Student
University
NURS 420PL
Professor
April 27, 2024
Abstract
In the final year of nursing school, Walsh University has their students take a population focused nursing class that is geared on preparing future nurses to care for the people within communities, a field of nursing that is often overlooked. An integral part of the course is the community assessment and analysis project, which is a focused initiative aimed at understanding a specific community’s needs and its social determinants on health. Within the framework of the course, the limelight of the project is its pivotal role in shaping the student’s ability to address the multifaceted needs of a community as a whole.
Community Assessment and Analysis Project
Introduction and Windshield Survey
As students kick off this project together, they start by taking a look at their communities from the windshields of their cars, a process called the windshield survey. The Windshield survey is a foundational part of the community assessment and analysis project as it serves as an observational examination of a community’s physical, social, and environmental attributes. It not only provides insights on the overall health and well-being of the community, but allows for the examination of building conditions, socioeconomic indicators and community resources. By doing this, students gain an open-minded understanding of the unique challenges and strengths that are ingrained within the community.
For the project, students were given the opportunity to split into groups of three or four people within the class to lessen the overwhelming amount of work the assignment entails throughout the course. Being given the choice of different zip codes to pick through, the chosen zip code for this specific group was 44714. Throughout the course of the windshield survey, several noteworthy populations within the community came to the attention of group members. Those populations included both individuals as well as families from middle income to lower income households. However, the overall vibe of the community was geared more towards the middle-aged population with some focus on younger populations integrated throughout neighborhoods within the community. Located in both North Canton and Downtown Canton, the community is based in Stark County, Ohio.
Areas of Interest
Within the zip code, there are multiple areas of interest. One of those areas is Gervasi Vineyards, which has an array of services. These services include scenic walking pathways throughout the vineyard, various dining options, a restored farmhouse, a banquet center, boutique shops, a spa, Tuscan themed villas, and a wine tasing cave. As far as regards towards community involvement, Gervasi Vineyards often has social events for the area with live music and event services, some of which are open and free to the public.
Another area of interest within the community would be the multitude of recreational parks. Throughout the warmer months, this gives community members easy access to outdoor activities including kayaking, hiking, and many different walking trails. Not only adults, but the children in the community can engage in outdoor physical activity at the play areas within the parks. In the colder months, people can engage in ice skating on the lakes and strolling through the array of Christmas lights within the park.
Lastly, the Meadow Lake Golf and Swim Club would be considered another area of interest within the community. This is an area of interest that is open to the public year-round. They offer a wide variety of activities for all ages including a swimming pool, picnic shelters and pavilions, a banquet facility, an 18-hole golf course, a clubhouse, a bar and tugboats. Their specialties are small group outings that focus on golf tournaments, family reunions as well as lessons in swimming and golf.
Physical Boundaries
The community within the zip code is surrounded by quite a few different physical boundaries. On the North side of the community, those boundaries are mainly 55th street and Gervasi Vineyards. On the West, the physical boundaries would be considered route 43 and Market Avenue as well as partially being boarded by Middle Branch Nimishillen Creek. Heading towards the East, there is a railroad, several parks, wooded areas, a part of Gervasi Vineyward and route 192. Going down towards the South, route 153 and 10th street would be considered the physical boundaries of the community. Within the zip code, there are multiple parks, highways, shopping areas and bodies of water. (confused on how we messed this up, will seek further guidance from you after break!)
Infrastructure and Conditions
Looking through the windshield of the group members car, the first focus was geared towards looking at the living conditions of the neighborhoods within the community’s zip code. When first entering the assigned area, there was notice of houses that looked like they belonged to middle- and upper-class families, as they were mostly single-family homes in nice neighborhoods that looked well-kept and clean. The only thing noteworthily missing would-be sidewalks, which is a huge safety risk for the public. Driving deeper into the area, there was a noticeable shift in the neighborhood right before the end of the area’s boundaries. That shift was going from well kept and clean to mildly maintained and somewhat unkept, as the car was approaching Downtown Canton. The neighborhoods looked more like they belonged to lower class and impoverished families rather than those of the higher income. The roads were filled with potholes and construction signs on every block. There was trash scattered throughout the neighborhoods and main roads with broken-down cars left on the side of the roads. However, there were sidewalks alongside all of the roads. With the exception of the part of one neighborhood, which was the Ridgewood Historic District, even though there were only a few houses apart of this district that were within the assigned zip code. The Ridgewood Historic District was added to the United States National Registry of Historic Places in 1982. This district features revival styled buildings built in the early 20th century with original brick streets and street lighting designed by several famous architects.
Health Services and Resources
Within the groups designated area, there are a multitude of health services for the community as well as those outside of it. Some of these services include the Canton Healthcare Center, the Sunrise Vista Behavioral Hospital, Quality of Life Health Care Service LLC, The Butterfly House of Hope Healing and Change and CommQuest Services. There are also quite a few different doctors’ offices and specialty doctors. As previously stated, there are many different recreational areas within our designated area, including five different parks and playgrounds, more than a dozen bodies of water, a golf course and over ten different areas for social gatherings. Although the community is so large, there is only one source of public transportation, which is the SARTA cornerstone transit center. However, there are opportunities for ride sharing services, uber for example, within and outside of the communities’ boundaries.
There are many different resources available within the designated area. As far as shopping goes there is a small vintage store, multiple different convenience stores, and three different pharmacies in the area. There are many different community outreach services including social services, a family service center, the Mckinley Early Childhood Resource Center, employee services, a shelter for domestic abuse victims, addiction treatment facilities and the Akron Canton Regional foodbank. Throughout the drive, there was no note of any large factories. Due to this, the community’s largest employer would be Gervasi Vineyards. Within the area, there are multiple different churches, ranging from traditional based worship to non-denominational churches that are more diverse. There is a Montessori school and the Sancta Clara Monastery. As far as schools are concerned, the only one that was seen was the Montessori school. Due to the assignment being from the view through a windshield, there was not an opportunity to go inside any of the buildings, but the outside of them did not look either dirty or extremely well kept.
Assessment & Planning
The zip Code of 44714 is situated in Canton City, Stark County, Ohio. The geographical size of the zip code is 2.63 square miles of land and 0.01 square miles of water area. The land area happens to be less than the mean land area of other Zip Codes in the country. The focus of this paper is to provide an analysis of Zip Code 44714 by focusing on demographic characteristics, socioeconomic analysis, health care system, and population of interest.
Figure 1: ZIP Code 44714 map showing its geographical area and boundaries (United States Zipcodes.org., 2024).
Demographic Characteristics
Age Trends
The population of persons aged less than five years is 492, where 236 are female and 256 are male (Datasheer, LLC, 2024). Those aged 5-14 years are 1038, where 487 are female and 551 are male. The population of persons aged 15 to 24 years 1016 where 497 are female and 519 are male (Datasheer, LLC, 2024). The population of persons aged 25 to 44 years is 2,154, where 1026 are male and 1128 are female. The number of people aged 45 to 64 years is 2373, where 1,118 are male and 1,255 are female. The population of senior adults aged 65 and older is 1,850, where 755 are male, and 1,095 are female (Datasheer, LLC, 2024).
Gender Analysis
With regards to gender, the population of Zip Code 44714 can be broken down into males and females (Datasheer, LLC, 2024). The number of males is 4,224, representing 47.34 percent of the population. Females account for 52.66 percent of the population, or 4,699 people. The median age for the population is 41.9 years. The male and female media age is 39.4 years and 45 years, respectively (Datasheer, LLC, 2024).
Figure 2: Population by Gender in Zip Code 44714 (Datasheer, LLC, 2024)
Race Analysis
The analysis of the racial composition of the population of ZIP 44714 reveals that whites are the predominant group, representing 70.76 percent of the population or 6,033, people followed by black people who account for 23.36 percent of the population of 1,992 people (Datasheer, LLC, 2024). Hispanic population, Asian Americans, American Indians, and Hawaiians account for 3.59 percent, 0.56 percent, 0.29 percent, and 0.01 percent of the population, respectively.
Figure 3: Population by race in Zip Code 44714 (Datasheer, LLC, 2024)
Marital Status, Family Structure, Household Structure
Most of the people are single adults, and the fraction of the population with families is small (Census Reporter, 2024). About 61 percent of the population aged 15 and older are single, and 39 percent are married. About 38 percent and 37 percent of males and females, respectively, in the area have never been married, 4 percent of males and 9 percent of females are widowed, 13 percent of men and 20 percent of women are divorced, and 45 percent of men and 34 percent of women are not married (Census Reporter, 2024). The average family size is about 3.56 people, while the number of persons per household is an average of 2.17 (Datasheer, LLC, 2024).
Income, Unemployment
The number of people in employment is 4,663 representing 59.51 percent of civilian population aged 16 years and older (Datasheer, LLC, 2024). The employment data captures the number of civilians aged 16 and older who are employed or did some work during the Census or investigation period. This may include individuals working on farms, self-employed, those working for more than 15 hours in unpaid labor in family businesses, those working in their profession or business, and individuals with work but not at work, such as those who are out of work due to illness, industrial dispute, or bad (Datasheer, LLC, 2024). The unemployed persons account for 4.84 percent of the population, or 379 persons. The data for unemployed persons include persons aged 16 years and older who have been actively searching for employment for the last month and were available to accept job offers. Those who are not in the labor force are about 2,792 or 35.65 percent of the population aged 16 and older (Datasheer, LLC, 2024). Individuals are classified as not being in the labor force if they have attained the age of 16 years and include people engaged in unpaid family business work for less than 15 hours, students, retired workers, housewives, and seasonal workers whose data on employment status was collected during the off-season (Datasheer, LLC, 2024).
Figure 4: Employment status in Zip Code 44714 (Datasheer, LLC, 2024)
On average, each household in Zip Code 44714 earns $53,239 compared to $69,021 in the US, $61,938 in the state, $58,170 in the county, and $34,611 in the city.
Figure 5: Average Household Income (Datasheer, LLC, 2024)
Further, analysis of income in the Zip Code by using parameters such as female income, male income, non-family income, family income, and household income shows a steady of incomes from 2019 to 2021 (Datasheer, LLC, 2024). In 2021, the median family income was the highest at $66,721, followed by median male income at $60,915, then median household income at $53,239. The median female income was $40,062, and the non-family median income was $32,241. This analysis shows that there is an income disparity between women and men and family and non-family individuals (Datasheer, LLC, 2024)
Figure 6: Estimates of Median Income in Zip Code 44714 (Datasheer, LLC, 2024)
Occupational Trend Analysis
Major employers and occupations are related to the education sector. The area has several elementary schools, high schools, and post-secondary schools. Some of the schools include Belle Stone Elementary School, Our Lady of Peace Elementary School, The Golden Key Center For Exceptional Children, Canton Montessori School, Malone University, National Beauty College, and Walsh University (Datasheer, LLC, 2024).
Educational Attainment
A huge population in the Zip Code has lower educational attainment than normal. For example, people aged 25 years and older who have less than a high school diploma represent 15 percent of the adult population (United States Zipcodes.org, 2024). Nonetheless, the area has a high percentage of people with a college education or higher. Those with a high school diploma, associate degree, bachelor’s degree, master’s degree, professional school degree, and a doctorate degree are 56.3 percent, 5 percent, 17 percent, 4.4 percent, 1.8 percent, and 0.5 percent, respectively (United States Zipcodes.org, 2024).
Population Trends
The population of Ohio has been increasing from 2015 to 2020. However, the population contracted in 2021 by 0.28 percent, from 11,798,292 in 2020 to 11,765,227. This was a major drop, given that the population had increased by 0.87 percent in 2020 when compared to 2019. In 2022, the population decreased by 0.05 percent to 11,759,697. However, the population increased by 0.22 percent to 11,785,935 in 2023 (Macrotrends LLC, 2024 (a)).
The population of the United States has had a positive growth since 2015. The population increased 0.8 percent in 2016, 0.79 percent in 2017, 0.71 percent in 2018, and 0.66 percent in 2019 (Macrotrends LLC, 2024 (b)). However, the population growth rate decreased to 0.49 percent in 2020, when the American population increased to 335,942,003. The population increased to 336,997,624 in 2021, but the growth rate declined to 0.31 percent. Population growth rate increased to o.38 percent in 2022 and 0.5 percent in 2022 when the population was 338,289,857 and 339,996,563, respectively (Macrotrends LLC, 2024 (b)).
Figure 7: Population Trends in Ohio (Macrotrends LLC, 2024 (a)).
In Zip Code 44714, the population has been increasing and decreasing over the recent years. For example, there was a major rise in the population from 2011 to 2011, followed by a period of decline from 2012 to 2017. Again, the population has been rising from 2017 to 2021.
Figure 8: population trends in Zip Code 44714 (Datasheer, LLC, 2024).
Health Risk Behaviors of the Community
Smoking
Drug use
Seatbelt Usage
Health Status of the Community (Health Statistics)
Vital Statistics
Birth Rates
The birth rate in Stark County was stable from 2017 to 2021. In this period, there were 4008 births in 2018, 4060 births in 2018, 4094 in 2019, 3913 in 2020, and 3927 in 2021 (Center for Marketing and Opinion Research (CMOR), 2023). Non-Hispanic whites account for more than 81 percent of these births.
Figure 9: Births by race in Stark County (CMOR, 2023).
Death Rates
In 2021, Stark County, reported 167.4 deaths per 100,000 people due to heart disease, 159.8 deaths due to cancer, 46.7 deaths due to Alzheimer’s disease, 64.8 deaths due to unintentional injuries, and 30.7 deaths due to diabetes (CMOR, 2023).
Causes of Death in a Community
The leading causes of death in the community include heart disease, cancer, Alzheimer’s disease, suicide, diabetes, unintentional injuries, and cerebrovascular disease (CMOR, 2023).
Mortality Trends and Analysis
Deaths in Stark County increased from 4,378 in 2015 to 5,411 in 2021. This represents a 23.6% increase. The mortality rate increased by 400% among persons aged 5-14 years and decreased by 42.1 percent among infants aged less than one year (CMOR, 2023). Diseases of the heart and unintentional injuries during the same period increased by 30.5% and 21.9 percent, respectively (CMOR, 2023).
Infant Mortality Trend Analysis
The Infant mortality rate is determined by dividing the number of infant deaths by that of live births times 1000. The infant mortality in Stark County increased from 4.8 per 1,000 live births in 2015 to 5.4 in 2019 (CMOR, 2023). However, this rate is lower compared to 6.9 for the state of Ohio and higher when compared to 3.8 for White babies in the county. The combined infant mortality rate for black infants for 2019, 2020, and 2021 was 12.8 per 1,000 live births compared to 5.26 for white infants in Stark County (CMOR, 2023).
Smoking
The prevalence of adult smoking in the area is high. Adult smoking data focuses on adults who smoke most days or every day. About 23 percent of adults in the county currently smoke (CMOR, 2023). This percentage of smokers is higher than that of the state of Ohio.
Screening Participation
The proportion of residents in the county who participate in screening for diseases has been improving. For example, the number of women participating in mammography screening increased from 42% in 2015 to 45% in 2019 (CMOR, 2023). However, the percentage is still low, given that cancer is one of the leading causes of death in the county.
Exercise Patterns
The percentages of residents in the county who report no progress, major progress, moderate progress, unsure of their progress, and minor progress increased participation in physical activity are 15%, 1%, 10%, 43%, and 32%, respectively (CMOR, 2023).
Diet and Nutritional Data
The percentages of residents in the county who report no progress, major progress, moderate progress, unsure of their progress, and minor progress in consumption of vegetables and fruits are 11%, 4%, 19%, 32%, and 35%, respectively (CMOR, 2023).
Obesity/overweight
Many recreational areas, such as playgrounds, sidewalks, and parks, engage in physical activity. Convenience stores, small strip plazas, and specialty stores have been identified as major problems in the Zip Code. This can be explained by some communities having problems accessing health food, lack of health literacy, busy schedules, and cost of healthy food (CMOR, 2023). More than one-third of the adult population in Stark County have a body mass index of more than 30. Another factor that may be contributing to obesity and overweight challenges is the sedentary lifestyle among the youth who are spending more than three hours on social media or playing online video games (CMOR, 2023).
Insured, Underinsured, Uninsured
About 52.36 percent or 6,062 people, have private insurance (Datasheer, LLC, 2024). Those with public insurance are 4,828, or 41.7 percent of the population. About 687 people, which represent 5.93 percent of the population, have no health insurance (Datasheer, LLC, 2024).
Healthcare System
Provider Ratios
The ratio of population to primary care physicians is 1,250:1, population to mental health is 360:1, and population to dentist is 1,590:1.
Hospital Bed Ratios
There are 1,531 hospital beds in the six registered hospitals, 2,287 beds in 35 licensed residential care, and 1,531 beds in licensed nursing homes.
Population of Interest
African American infants are a population of interest, given the higher mortality rate compared to their white counterparts. The combined infant mortality rate for African American infants for 2019, 2020, and 2021 was 12.8 per 1,000 live births compared to 5.26 for white infants in Stark County (CMOR, 2023). Some of the causes of infant mortality include unintentional injuries, congenital anomalies, and sudden unexpected infant death that includes strangulation in bed, accidental suffocation, and infant death syndrome (CMOR, 2023). Preterm births are also associated with an elevated risk of infant mortality due to birth complications such as slower weight gain, difficulty regulating body temperature, poor feeding, and immature lungs (Perisic & Samolczyk, 2023).
One of the internal stressors that may be responsible for preterm births that heighten the risk of infant mortality include drug abuse and smoking among pregnant African American women (Center for Marketing and Opinion Research (CMOR), 2019). External stressors and factors that may be responsible for the high black infant mortality rate include the cost of care. The high cost of care has a negative impact on the ability of African American parents to get the care they need to prevent the death of their infants. Even for parents with health insurance, the out-of-pocket expenses, and deductibles bar pregnant women from getting the required prenatal care (CMOR, 2023).
Planning
Strengths
A huge proportion of the population in Zip Code 44714 have health insurance.
A huge proportion of the population in Zip Code 44714 is employed, with only 379 persons being unemployed. Given that women account for 52.66% of the population in the area, it is possible to deduce that a huge number of women are in employment.
Weaknesses
At this level, it is important to recall that women in Zip Code earn less than their male counterparts.
A huge proportion of the population (61%) is single. These two weaknesses may affect the ability of black women to access prenatal care due to the high cost of care.
The Epidemiological Triad
The epidemiological triad refers to the agent, environment, and host. Three educational areas in understanding how the agent and host come together in the environment to cause infection (John & Kompithra, 2023).
Agent
Maternal tobacco smoke
Host
An infant with underdeveloped lungs
Environment
A small room where smoking parents share a bed with an infant
Time
The infant may experience sudden infant mortality syndrome, which may be untimely and lack specific incubation time.
ONE Long-term Outcome
To decrease African American infant mortality rate in the community by 50 percent by the end of 2026, there is a need for championing for gender pay equity and combating drug and tobacco use among pregnant African American women by providing health literacy.
Conclusion
The 44714 zip code in Stark County is predominantly white. The area has a high level of employment, several recreational facilities and shopping centers, and a huge proportion with high health insurance, a school diploma and higher educational attainment. Nonetheless, the average household income is less than that of the US and Ohio. Further, women earn a lower median income compared to men. A huge proportion of the population is single. While African Americans account for a small proportion of the population compared to whites, African American infant mortality remains high. This problem can be countered by providing African American parents with information to curb tobacco and drug use during pregnancy and after birth and championing gender pay equity to ensure that single mothers are able to pay for prenatal care.
References
Census Reporter. (2024). Census profile: 44714. https://censusreporter.org/profiles/86000US44714-44714/
Center for Marketing and Opinion Research (CMOR). (2019). 2019 Stark County Community Health Assessment: Prepared for The Stark County Community Health Assessment Advisory Committee. https://www.cantonhealth.org/ophi/pdf/StarkCHAReport2019FINAL.pdf
Center for Marketing and Opinion Research (CMOR). (2023). 2022 Stark County Community Health Assessment: Prepared for Stark Community Health Needs Assessment Advisory Committee. https://cms7files1.revize.com/starkcountyoh/StarkCHAReport2022-Revised1_2023.pdf
Datasheer, LLC. (2024, March 1). ZIP code 44714 info, map, demographics for Canton, OH. ZIP Code Database List & Canadian Postal Code Listings. https://www.zip-codes.com/zip-code/44714/zip-code-44714.asp
John, T., & Kompithra, R. (2023). Eco-epidemiology triad to explain infectious diseases. Indian Journal of Medical Research, 0(0), 0. https://doi.org/10.4103/ijmr.ijmr_3031_21
Macrotrends LLC. (2024 (a)). Ohio Population 1900-2023. https://www.macrotrends.net/states/ohio/population
Macrotrends LLC. (2024 (b)). U.S. population growth rate 1950-2023. Macrotrends | The Long Term Perspective on Markets. https://www.macrotrends.net/countries/USA/united-states/population-growth-rate
Perisic, A., & Samolczyk, M. J. (2023). Stark County Community Assessment. https://www.starkcf.org/files/news/2023starkcountycommunityassessment.pdf
United States Zipcodes.org. (2024). United States zip codes. https://www.unitedstateszipcodes.org/44714/
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