NUR 674 DQ How Community or Public Health Impact Our Daily Lives
NUR 674 DQ How Community or Public Health Impact Our Daily Lives
Community and Public Health impact almost every aspect of your life. In this discussion, you will locate and summarize local interest stories or articles from the newspaper (or other local publications) that demonstrate how community or public health impact our daily lives.
Browse your local newspaper or other local publications for articles that focus on public health issues at the local, state, and/or national level. For example, reports or articles that discuss a train collision, an earthquake in California, the dedication of a new park in your neighborhood, an outbreak of the flu in Texas, low-cost child immunization clinics, or a free traveling mammogram program for low-income women are all examples of public or community health issues.
Locate two examples of community or public health issues from a local publication, magazine, or newspaper. The examples you select should focus on completely different topics – for example, select one article that discusses a new park and another article that focuses on plans for a new coal-fired power plant.
Write a one paragraph summary of each article. Include a proper reference to the source of the article.
Include an additional paragraph that explains why you consider these articles to be public or community health.
Your original post should consist of complete sentences and include three paragraphs.
Reply to at least two of your online colleagues’ posts with reflective questions, substantive comments, or relevant personal experiences.
What is the role of Public Health?
Public health plays a very important role in protecting, promoting, and maintaining the health of entire communities. These communities may be as small as your neighborhood, or as large as the whole country.
Many of public health’s duties are health issues we face in everyday life-like protecting the drinking water, or ensuring the safety of food at local restaurants.
Public Health also has a role in areas like dental health, preventing injuries, preparing for emergencies and disasters, monitoring the leading causes of death, and preventing the spread of disease.
Our role is different than that of other health professionals because public health centers on prevention, while the medical community usually focuses on care for those who are already sick.
NUR 674 DQ How Community or Public Health Impact Our Daily Lives
Ten Essential Functions of Public Health
Key functions that state and local health departments are engaged in.
Public Health’s Impact
Public health has been critical to the increase in life expectancy and worldwide decrease of infant and child mortality. Public health has made dramatic strides in improving community health. Many of the most important contributions ensure that our daily lives are safe. These include:
- car safety
- control of diseases
- family planning and contraception
- fluoridation of drinking water
- identifying tobacco as a health hazard
- improving the health of mothers and babies
- reducing deaths from heart disease and stroke
- safer and healthier foods
- safer workplaces
- vaccinations (shots)
Public Health Links and Resources
THIS IS PUBLIC HEALTH Campaign
Alliance to Make US Healthiest
American Public Health Association
Ohio Public Health Association
National Environmental Health Association
Ohio Environmental Health Association
Association of Ohio Health Commissioners
National Association of County and City Health Officials
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention