Identification Of A Population In Your Community

Title

Name

Institution

Community and Practice setting:

Hampton road is the selected community which is an independent city in US. The practice setting encompasses acute care hospital where short term instant care is provided in emergency situations.

Determinants of health:

There are two determinants of health e.g., physical and social determinants (ODPHP, 2018). Physical determinants include personal factors e.g., genetics, age, nutrition, family history, exposure to natural and environmental factors. For example, individual with healthy diet and nutrition, absent genetic predisposition for illness, far from technological advancements and close to nature is more likely to avoid illness. On the other hand, social determinants include concrete and inter-personal factors. Concrete factors include availability of healthcare facilities, safety, transportation and residence whereas interpersonal factors encapsulate social norms, support and attitude, exposure to violence, crime and mass media.

Prevalent health problems in community

Various health problems are prevalent within community, few of them are:

Mental health issues

Cardiac arrests

Hypertension

Obesity

Drug addiction

Sexually transmitted diseases

Population at risk and its specific health problem

Being in acute care setting, the most evident problem is hypertension in elderly which gives rise to multifaceted symptomatic ramifications (Hamilton, 2003). It is the most significant risk factor cardiovascular illnesses and elevated mortality rate among elderly. Etiology lies in three aspects e.g., biological, psychological and social factors. Biological factors include increased aged, genetic predispositions behind acquiring hypertension and some structural and functional abnormalities in heart walls and arteries. Stress is the exclusive psychological factors that increase the amount of cortisol in blood leaving body in fight and flight situation for longer periods. This situation gives rise to the constant tension on the part of cardiac muscles and arteries. Social factors include cultural barriers, nature of interpersonal relationships, lacking healthcare facilities, belongingness to underserved community and lack of social support and education (Ong et. al., 2008).

References

Ong, K. L., Tso, A. W., Lam, K. S., Cheung, B. M. (2008). Gender difference in blood pressure control and cardiovascular risk factors in Americans with diagnosed hypertension. Hypertension, 51, 1142–1148. Retrieved march 4, 2018 from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18259031

Hamilton, G. A. (2003). Measuring adherence in a hypertension clinical trial. Eur J Cardiovasc Nurs., 2, 219–228. Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/14622630

ODPHP (2018). Determinants of health. ODPHP. Retrieved from https://www.healthypeople.gov/2020/about/foundation-health-measures/Determinants-of-Health