Final Paper using CHNA

Final Project. Students should prepare a final paper (@ least 8 double-spaced pages of text, 12 pt. font, 1” margins, use of maps, tables and figures is encouraged), reflecting on public health concepts, theory, and methods. References (from at least 10 peer-reviewed journals) should be used and cited properly, and are not included in the 8-10 page limit. Due May 7th, 2021 11pm (20%)
1) Identify a Vulnerable Community: Identify a community of concern based on vulnerability (using tools from community commons (www.communitycommons.org)
a. Identify geographic areas of vulnerability within your community. A well-accepted definition of a vulnerable population is a group of individuals or a community that is at increased susceptibility to adverse health outcomes. People who live in poverty and have low educational attainment are often identified as vulnerable populations, because poverty and education are two social determinants of health that have a significant impact on health outcomes. 
b. The Vulnerable Populations Footprint (VPF) tool on the CHI HUB of the Commons allows you to automatically see your community. The VPF tool helps visualize both the percentage of the population below the federal poverty level and the percentage of adults (>age 25) with less than a high school diploma. Using the Target Intervention Area tool tab of the VPF, you can identify the segments of your community who may be at increased risk for health disparities and on whom you want to focus your interventions.
2) Identify Social Determinants: Identify 2 social determinants of health (SDoH) impacting your identified community and provide maps to show how they affect your specific intervention area.
a. Health equity is achieved when every person has the opportunity to “attain his or her full health potential.” Social determinants of health are factors in the social environment that contribute or detract from the health of individuals and communities. These factors include, but are not limited to socioeconomic status, transportation, housing, access to services and discrimination by social grouping (race, gender or class).
3) Community Health Needs Assessment: Perform a Community Health Needs Assessment (CHNA) for your community and identify 2 health disparities impacting your community.
a. These health disparities should be documented using data showing different health outcomes across specific populations. Each health disparity should be a product or consequence of one or both of the social determinants of health that you identify in your community. The connection between the SDoH and the health disparities should be supported by data.
b. Each student must choose two different health disparities (from the ones presented in the group presentation) to address with the community. No two students within a group can use the same health disparities. Each student should use the causal pathway diagram they created for the group presentation to guide them in explaining the connections between the SDoH of interest and the health disparities.
4) Interventions: Identify and detail 2 interventions (one individual based and one that is policy-based, systemic, or environmental) that address each of your 2 health disparities (at least four interventions in total). These interventions should be evidence-based, meaning they have been evaluated scientifically for effectiveness. A comprehensive list of interventions that have been proven to be effective can be found here, in the “What Works for Health” site: https://www.countyhealthrankings.org/take-action-to-improve-health/what-works-for-health.