Analysis and Recommendations Paper on Public Health Issues

The final project for this course is the creation of an analysis and recommendations paper. Contemporary public health issues addressed by the social and behavioral sciences include the prevention and treatment of alcohol and drug abuse, tobacco control, injury control, mental health, domestic violence, prevention of sexually transmitted diseases and HIV, adolescent health, communications, and grassroots political and community organizing. Effective solutions to widespread public health problems require the ability to plan, implement, and administer programs that take into account the actual factors that influence individual behaviors and reduce existing disparities. Both quantitative and qualitative research is used to inform program planning and evaluation.

For this project, you will analyze a public health issue that affects a community or population of your choice. You will also analyze the social and behavioral factors associated with the issue and make recommendations for specific changes in social and behavioral factors that will help improve the issue. You will use social or behavioral theories, concepts, or models to substantiate your claims.

The project is divided into four milestones, which will be submitted at various points throughout the course to scaffold learning and ensure quality final submissions. These milestones will be submitted in Modules One, Two, Four, and Five. The final project submission occurs in Module Seven.

This assignment will address the following course outcomes: 

1.Analyze the impact of social and behavioral factors on individual and population health for improving overall population health

2.Analyze the impact of community interventions on population health in identifying the efficacy of health programs

3.Apply appropriate public health theories, concepts, or models in examining behavioral, social, and cultural factors associated with health issues

4.Recommend evidence-based strategies for effecting changes in social and behavioral issues

For this assignment, consider yourself an employee of an actual healthcare organization of your choosing, in which your role is to research the social and behavioral aspects of public health issues and make recommendations about changes in social and behavioral factors that will lead to a decrease in public health issues. You will choose a public health issue with your instructor’s approval for the basis of this project, analyze the issue for its social and behavioral factors, and make specific recommendations for changes that will lead to a measurable improvement of that issue.

Specifically, the following critical elements must be addressed: 

I. Introduction

A. Summarize your public health issue with respect to the community or state to which it is pertinent.

B. Discuss why it is considered a public health issue. Be sure to support your claims with research.

C. Identify the population that is most at risk for this issue. Be sure to support your claims with research

II. Analysis

A. Describe the social, behavioral, and cultural factors associated with this public health issue. Be sure to substantiate your claims with relevant evidence-based research.

B. Assess the impact of local initiatives that may exist on your selected issue. In other words, what has been done in the community, including organizational support, initiatives, or programs, in response to this issue? Be sure to substantiate your claims with specific examples and research.

C. Assess the impact of state-sponsored programs or interventions that may exist to address your selected public health issue. Be sure to substantiate your claims with specific examples and research.

D. Analyze the efficacy of local and state initiatives and programs that address your selected public health issue. In other words, are those initiatives or programs working? Be sure to justify your reasoning with relevant evidence-based research.

E. Bearing in mind that there may be several, identify a healthcare disparity (that is, a gap in care that is typically experienced by an underserved population) associated with this public health issue. F. What efforts have been made toward reducing the disparity you identified? Be sure to substantiate your claims with relevant evidence-based research

III. Theoretical Support

A. Bearing in mind that there may be several, choose a social, behavioral, or cultural factor associated with your selected public health issue that needs to change in order to improve the issue. Be sure to explain why you chose this particular factor.

B. Select the public health theory, model, or concept that most appropriately applies to the social, behavioral, or cultural factor you chose in the above step.

C. Describe the strengths of the theory, model, or concept you selected for addressing your chosen social, behavioral, or cultural factor. Be sure to substantiate your claims with specific examples and research.

D. Describe the weaknesses of the theory, model, or concept you selected for addressing your chosen social, behavioral, or cultural factor. Be sure to substantiate your claims with specific examples and research.