Community & Public Health

DISCUSSION BOARD REPLY

Provide a response to 2 other class members’ threads below. You should support your responses and provide 1 citation for each thread and reply.

GRADING RUBRIC
1. Contribution made to discussion with each reply (2) expounding on the thread.
2. Required word count (at least 100 words) is met. Word count must be posted in each reply.
3. Major points are supported by all of the following:
• Reading & Study materials;
• Pertinent examples (conceptual and/or personal);
• Thoughtful analysis (considering assumptions, analyzing implications, and comparing/contrasting concepts); and
At least 2 peer-reviewed source citations, in addition to the course textbook, in current APA format.

1. Noah Bontempo
My community Observation.
The town that I live in would be considered a community because everyone here deals with similar problems, and they can always relate to one another. The vast majority of the population hasn’t traveled far outside the county for any stretch of time because the average household income is quite low, and its surprisingly expensive to live in upstate NY, so there isn’t enough money for things like vacations, and trips. One of the major health-related problems that is found in this community would be obesity. Tobacco use is most certainly prevalent, but for some reason those that are obese tend to be heavy smokers from my observation. Once I did a bit of research, I found this is quite common amongst tobacco users (Michele D. Levine, Terry Bush, Magnusson, Yu Cheng, & Chen, 2012).
A major asset in the community would be that there are endless amounts of outdoor activities to do, and the community most certainly takes advantage of this. People are always hunting, fishing, riding four wheelers, and exploring walking trails through the woods. The area is not only quite beautiful, but outdoor activities help relieve stress which explains why everyone here is so carefree (Buckley & Brough, 2017). Another asset would be that there are several churches in the area all with different religions. This is important because you do not have to commute far for services on Saturday, or Sunday depending on what religion you practice which is outstanding in my opinion. The final, and most important asset is that there are little to no environmental problems because industry in the Adirondack Mountain region is heavily regulated resulting in clean fresh air, and safe water (McKenzie, Pinger, & Seabert, 2018). There are only two health related businesses in the community one of which is a small pharmacy, and the other is a drug rehabilitation center. The pharmacy is the only one within a 20-mile radius, and they do everything from flu shots to selling over the counter drugs, and they occasionally sell flowers, and small amounts of groceries. The drug rehabilitation center is pretty self-explanatory, and unfortunately, I do not know anyone who has utilized it, but by the looks of it it’s a decent facility.
Most people do not have to go far to purchase health products because the pharmacy understands they are the only facility for 20 miles. If health care was needed outside of standard bandages, and over the counter medication you would have to drive roughly 25 miles to the nearest hospital, and if any specialty care was needed then you would have to go 50 miles. A ferry ride is also the only option if any special care was needed for more serious things like severe car accidents, and things of that nature which tends to take 2 hours for the whole trip.
Works Cited
Buckley, R. C., & Brough, P. (2017). Economic Value of Parks via Human Mental Health: An Analytical Framework. Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution, 8-14.
McKenzie, J. F., Pinger, R. R., & Seabert, D. M. (2018). An Introduction to Community & Public Health Ninth Edition. Burlington: Jones & Bartlett Learning.
Michele D. Levine, P., Terry Bush, P., Magnusson, B., Yu Cheng, P., & Chen, X. (2012). Smoking-Related Weight Concerns and Obesity: Differences Among Normal Weight, Overweight, and Obese Smokers Using a Telephone Tobacco Quitline. Nicotine & Tobacco, 136-140.

2. Marcella Mehdium
My community Observation
One article defines community as “a group of people with diverse characteristics who are linked by social ties, share common perspectives, and engage in joint action in geographical locations or settings” (Macqueen etal., 2001). To me a community is a group of diverse people who share the same location and want the best for each other and that location. I believe what distinguishes a community is how the people of it come together and care for the community and each other.
Currently, one of the biggest health related problems facing my community is the global pandemic of covid-19. It has certainly been an adjustment for my community as I am sure for many others. I live in a county that is in the top five for covid-19 cases in my state of Pennsylvania. We went into the green phase about three weeks ago and we are now making our way back to the yellow phase due to a spike in cases. Our governor has mandated that we wear masks in any public place and has recently shut bars and restaurants back down. Many people seem mad at our governor because they feel as though they are taking away their rights, I can see that our governors greatest concern is the health of his people.
I would say my communities most major asset would be that we have public transportation. We have public busses and what we call the “trolley” or “T” which is a train that takes you in and out of town. There are many benefits to having public transportation in the community. One article says “Public transportation also influences health because most public transportation users walk or bicycle to access public transportation. A study found that 29% of respondents were able to achieve 30 minutes or more of daily exercise through walking to or from public transportation” (Expand Public Transportation Systems and Offer Incentives, 2015). Another benefit to public transportation is how much better it is for the environment. It reduces energy consumption, greenhouse gasses, and other pollutants.
The institutions or businesses in me community that are involved in the area of health care would be a MedExpress Urgent care. You can go there for anything from the flu to a broken foot to a physical required for school or work. It is like going to you PCP except you don’t need to make an appointment and it seems like they deal with a wider variety of issues. The people of my community on need to travel about three to four miles to reach our local CVS pharmacy or Walmart which both have generic and brand name products.
The Bible says “Live in harmony with one another. Do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly. Never be wise in your own sight” (Christian Standard Bible, 2009/2017, Romans 12:16). Love your neighbors and get to know them, ones with similar interests and one with different interests to create a culture of caring and understanding in your community.

References
Christian Standard Bible. (2017). Christian Standard Bible Online. https://csbible.com/
(Original work published 2009)
Expand Public Transportation Systems and Offer Incentives. (2015). US Department of Transportation.
MacQueen, K. M., McLellan, E., Metzger, D. S., Kegeles, S., Strauss, R. P., Scotti, R.,
Blanchard, L., & Trotter, R. T., 2nd (2001). What is community? An evidence-based definition for participatory public health. American journal of public health, 91(12), 1929–1938.