Community Health Profiles for Public Health

Question: Discuss about the Community Health Profiles for Public Health? Answer: Introduction Community health profiles are the health details of the people of the community and are a comprehensive report of the neighborhood health scenario. They look beyond the traditional health measures for defining a broader picture of health complications (Murphy 2015). Such profiles provide valuable and rich information on important health issues, serve as a critical source for bringing improvements in the health of the community, and are a valuable step towards participatory public health (Chow et al. 2014). The present health profile is of the Kensington borough in west London about the health topic of smoking. The health profile discusses the factors that affect the population, health profile of the population, factors influencing the contemporary health of the population, determinants, and indicators of influencing the contemporary health of the population, health needs of the population, factors influencing health choice and behavior, and recommendations for health improvements in the population. The health profile gives a clear picture of the health in the area and is designed for helping the local government and health services to understand the needs of the community and lay out some recommendations for better health outcomes. The main aim is to improve the health of the people and reduce health inequalities present among the population. The community health profile would be undertaken for understanding the internal and external factors that influence the choices and behaviors of groups in a community, for interpreting the epidemiologic and demographic indicators for the diverse population, and assessing the needs of the population in relation to health. The main aim of the health profiling is to complete the learning outcome of applying new concepts, analyzing and interpreting data and evaluating the evidence (Shin et al. 2013). Population One of the prominent boroughs of London is Kensingtoninwest London. As per the 2011 census, the borough had a population of 158,649. Out of this, 10% are Asian, 71% are white, 5% are multiple ethnic groups, 2 % are Black Caribbean, and 3.4% are Black African. The borough has a higher proportion (16.6%) of high earners than any other local government district. It has the highest number of workers in the financial sector, and the lowest proportion works in the retail sector. As of the statistics of 2010, life expectancy at birth for females was found to be 89.8 years. This is the highest in the whole of the United Kingdom. According to a survey in 2006, the residents of this borough are the most active in England about fitness activities and sports. The adult population of the borough has been mixed in comparison to the England on average (londonhp.nhs.uk, 2016). Factors that affect the population The factor that affects the population the most about health complications is smoking. Smoking is the main cause of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) among the adult population. COPD is the long-term health complication that the population faces including disorders like bronchitis and emphysema. There lies a strong relation between smoking and high prevalence of smoking among the public (jsna.info, 2016). Health profile An estimated 21.5% of adults in Kensington smoke on a regular basis. The rate of smoking-related deaths is 252 on average. Emergency COPD admission, as well as readmission rates in Kensington, are similar statistically to the national average. However, almost 40 % of patients admitted for COPD in the hospitals have readmission within three months. Kensington residents are four times more likely have mortality due to COPD before attaining the age of 75 years when the comparison is done with people who live in the local authority with a high death rate of COPD(londonhp.nhs.uk, 2016). Figure 1: The prevalence of COPD at the general practice level in Kensington along with socio-economic deprivation level Figure 2: COPD pathway summary of people of Kensington (The spine chart is the indicator of how COPD data in the local area compares with the rest of England). Figure 3: Health information on people of Kensington in comparison to the rest of England Factors influencing the contemporary health of the population Socioeconomic status is a fundamental cause of negative health outcomes of the population. Socio-economic health differences are present around the globe, including the United Kingdom, and they are omnipresent over the geography of the country that includes this particular borough. People with low socioeconomic status in this borough are more prone to these negative health outcomes, including COPD from smoking. The groups of people having the low income are more prone to having taken up smoking as a result of a combination of factors like depression, pressure from peers. People having low levels of education are also included in this group, the reason attributing to poor knowledge of the negative impact of smoking. These people have more health complications, disability, and physiological risk indicators. Socioeconomic status itself in itself is the basic cause of health problems that works by many mechanisms for affecting health. It affects the health outcome through health-related behaviors, skills, and knowledge obtained from education, the ability to use wealth and income for purchasing things affecting health. People with higher levels of income have more chances of accessing care and are under regular medical care. The people of the borough have a majority of the population coming from the low economic background, and they have no health insurance coverage (sepho.org.uk, 2016). Determinants and indicators of the populations health, risks and morbidity rate The study of distribution and determinants of public health issues in the population of Kensington helps to understand the morbidity and risk factors including relative risk, attributable risks and their impacts on prevalence rates (Munn-Giddings and Winter 2013). The determinants of the public health focus on the disease pattern and the possible causes of the disease. In the case of Kensington borough, the popular public health issue for the adults associated with COPD and the possible cause is smoking (Pirie et al. 2013). Mortality is the ultimate indicator as it reflects the ultimate result of increased exposure to some risk factors like smoking. It is important to analyze the risks factors of the Kensington community that is affecting their public health. The analysis mainly depends on monitoring the occurrence of particular disease during a long time and identifying the threats. The Kensington community has a prevalence cardiac disease among adults at the age of forty, and the r ate is high among adult males due to smoking. The preventive strategy for the COPD has focused on making the community aware of the dangerous effect. Measurement of the disease in the community starts with the statistical data of a number of people in the population, the onset of the disease at the certain age, the period of the disease and the nature of disease progression (Bowling 2014). As stated by Edelman et al. (2013), Morbidity is associated with the extent of the disease and the occurrence of new cases of the disease. The factors that affect the physical, behavioral, psychosocial, and intellectual development of a population due to a prone health issue. Risk analysis measures the extent of an individual to contract a disease. The source of the COPD disease is associated with the regular smoking habit of the community. As a result, the injurious substances of the cigarette affecting the pulmonary function of the people. Attributable risk shows the portion of the population who are exposed to the disease. The prevalence rate of the health issues in Kensington borough measure the duration of a particular pulmonary issue and indicates any change in the duration pattern. Studies have shown that in recent years the community is facing some chronic problem on the pulmonary issue (Hughes et al. 2013). Health needs of the population As per Malthusian theory of human population, human population grows exponentially at an arithmetic rate. The theory states that poor living condition and working conditions give rise to low resistance to diseases and more obvious factor like the disease itself. This theory can be explained in the context of the present population, as the population of the borough is large, giving rise to some complications (Dean 2015). The increased issues of health condition across the borough show the relation between population health and health promotion. Health promotion helps the people of the Kensington to take control over the disorders and improve the health condition. The integrated model of population health and health promotion include some strategies to deliver useful health education and health awareness campaign (Bowling 2014). The borough needs some legislative changes to discourage the adult community to leave smoking. The strategic framework of the model shows that the health equit ably can be achieved if the Kensington community supports together. The model pays attention to three challenges- increase awareness regarding diseases, help to increase the capacity to cope with COPD condition, and reducing the health inequities (Pelegrino et al. 2013). Marmot theory says that heart disease and stroke incidents are dependent on the lifestyle, diet habit, and stress management. The theory suggests that a major proportion of Kensington community is accumulating stress that is leading to chronic heart disease (Meijer et al. 2013). Exposure to excessive stress is increasing the heart vulnerability of the people. Factors influencing health behavior and choice According to Herbig et al. (2013), many factors contribute to the health issues of an individual and community. The environment and the circumstances determine the health status of Kensington community. The education level, the relationship of the people, factors of living, the income of an individual have an impact on the overall public health of the community. Sometimes, people are unable to control some determinants of health. It has found in Kensington community that the higher earning and higher social status reflects better health, but a huge gap is present in health issues who are poor (Tisdell and Svizzero 2015). Lack of proper education is another thing that is encouraging the people to continue their smoking habits. Physical environment also plays a crucial role in the health status of the community. The environment includes safe and clean air, water, home, and locality. People who are employed in the healthier working environment are less prone to heath issues (Peck 2015). The Kensington community is rather congested that is critical for the health condition of the adults. Social support from the families and friends assists in better living. Customs, cultures, and the belief in relatives are essential for proper health choice (Embrett and Randall 2014). Conclusion The adult population in the Kensington has been smoking in a considerable level, and this is the cause of different health complications among the public, including COPD. Smoking is one of the main causes of death in adults, and the overall health impact is negative on the overall basis. By studying the theories of the population, it has found that the increasing volume of the borough is making the community more vulnerable to disease. Furthermore, the accumulation of stress is increasing the threat of chronic heart disease. Some other factors related to social and environmental issues are also hampering the health condition. Poor economic condition and lack of social support pushing the adults towards more severe health condition. Recommendation All patients having COPD still having the habit of smoking must be encouraged to quit smoking and must be offered help in all opportunities. Effective strategies are to be taken up the health department for reducing the exposure to nicotine. Smoking bans and restrictions are strongly recommended. Regulations and policies are to be in place for banning and limiting the consumption of tobacco. These include organization regulations, private business and employer policies, and government laws and ordinances. Ordinances and laws would establish minimum standards for protecting people from the influences of smoking. Community education is very important about reduction of smoking as people being more aware of the negative impact of smoking will eventually reduce smoking. Mass media campaigns are strongly recommended. Recurring and brief messages can be sent to the common people to motivate and inform the people to remain tobacco-free. For younger population, school-based interventions and other community education program are effective. This can be taken up along with other interventions. Increasing the unit price for tobacco would be another intervention. Modern technologies have to be utilized to the greatest extent for helping out people who want to quit smoking. References Bowling, A., 2014.Research methods in health: investigating health and health services. McGraw-Hill Education (UK). Bowling, A., 2014.Research methods in health: investigating health and health services. McGraw-Hill Education (UK). Brodie, C. and Perera, G., 2014. 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