Running head: COMMUNITY ASSESSMENT

Community Assessment
Dixie State University
Sarah Roseman Hunt

COMMUNITY ASSESSMENT

Community Assessment
Nies & McEwen defined a community as a group of people who share something in
common and interact with one another, who may exhibit a commitment with one another and
may share a geographic boundary (2011). The community that will be discussed in this paper is
Spanish Fork, Utah. Upon assessment of this community, it was apparent that Spanish Fork, like
other communities across the nation, struggles with alarmingly high occurrences of childhood
obesity. With technology advances and electronic games for children combined with fast-paced
lives in adults, sedentary lifestyles are on the rise. These combinations lead to poor health, higher
medical expenses, and polypharmacy dependence. This paper will explore the findings of the
community assessment related to childhood obesity and discuss the intervention completed to
assist with prevention of this problem.
Community Assessment and Analysis
The following sections will discuss Spanish Fork, UT and the problems discovered
through a community assessment. The community assessment provided great insight to an
epidemic that is sweeping the nation in the young and the old. This paper will also specifically
identify a particular target population for intervention implementation.
Community Assessment
Spanish Fork City is located in Utah County and is 50 miles south of Salt Lake
City and 10 miles south of Provo. Spanish Forks elevation is 4,609 feet above sea level and
covers 15.39 square miles. Information obtained through a windshield survey of Spanish Fork
appeared to indicate that Spanish Fork to be a well-run city. Additional information through other
resources showed this city is filled with many recreational opportunities to promote healthy
activities and provide entertainment to the population. Spanish fork has 17 parks with
playgrounds, 10 covered pavilions, a city library, a golf course, two splash pads and a city pool,
two RV parks, fishing and swimming at the Spanish Oaks Reservoir, and many hiking trails. The

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educational system lies within the boundaries of Nebo School District. Within those boundaries
are ten elementary schools, three junior high schools, three traditional high schools, and one
alternative high school. Spanish Fork also houses the Utah County Jail. While crime is problem
essentially everywhere, Spanish Fork has a crime index for of 26.09 and the violent crime index
is 22.79. Both of these values are well below the national average of 100. (History of Spanish
Fork).
The 2013 population estimate for Spanish Fork City from the United Stated Department
of Commerce was 36,956 grouped into 9,165 household units. The poverty rate is under 4%. The
average household size is 3.87, with a median age of 24.2. Of the total population, 13% are
under the age of 5, 40.9% are under 18, and 5.5% are 65 years and over. The gender make up in
this community is almost equal with females representing 49.3%, while males make up 50.7%.
Racial composition is 84.6% white, 0.4% African American, 0.5% Native American, 0.6% Asian,
0.7% Pacific Islander, 2.5% two or more races, and 10.6% Hispanic or Latino. While the
majority of Spanish For is white, 10.3% of households speak a language other than English
(United States Census Bureau). Spanish Fork may not be as ethnically diverse as other
communities in Utah, but they still face some of the same troubles that effect several
communities nationwide.
According to the Utah Department of Health, the leading causes of death include heart
disease, malignant neoplasms, cerebrovascular diseases, unintentional injuries, and self-inflicted
harm. Other areas of significant morbidity include renal impairment and diabetes mellitus
(2011). This information is important to consider when discussing obesity because it is related to
almost all of the leading causes of death.
Target Population
As detailed above from the U.S. Department of Commerce, 53.9% of the total population
of Spanish Fork City is under the age of 18 with a median age of 24.2. With this young

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population, prevention and early detection in childhood years is extremely important. The Center
for Disease Control and Prevention stated one third of the children and adolescents are obese
(2014). It is important to educate children while they are still moldable and to teach them proper
diet and exercise to prevent a debilitating disease.
Problem Identification
In addition to physical ailments such as diabetes, asthma, and metabolic disorders,
childhood obesity also contributes to low self-esteem, bullying, learning problems, poor social
skills, and depression (Mayo Clinic, 2014). According to The State of Obesity, Utah children
aged 10-17 have 11.6% obesity rate (2014). There are 113,478 current heart disease cases with
estimated 471,321 by 2030. Additionally, there is a 24. 2% hypertension rate and a 7.1% diabetes
rate in Utah. With that in mind, the community health diagnosis for this paper is: Increased risk
of childhood obesity due to poor nutrition, inadequate exercise and lack education to Utah
County residents as demonstrated in health statistics by the Utah State Health Department.
Goal and Objectives
The goal of the intervention is to reduce the risk of childhood obesity in Spanish Fork,
UT and teach effective nutrition and exercise patters to children to assist them with leading
healthier lives. The office of disease prevention and health promotion in accordance with
Healthy People 2020 have recently created a new topic that focuses directly with early-to-middle
aged childhood. They share a goal to document and track population-based measures of health
and wellbeing for early and middle childhood population sin the United States. Furthermore,
they stated the evidence shows that experiences in the first years of life are extremely important
for a childs health development and lifelong learning. (Early and middle childhood, 2014).
Interventions are crucial in early years of children to prevent further complications later in life.
The outcome objective of this intervention was: By December 2015, there will be a trend toward
decreasing childhood obesity with higher awareness of primary preventative techniques. This

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will be placed into action by way of teaching elementary-aged children about childhood obesity
and provide fliers for them to take home and discuss with their guardian.
Resources
Fortunately, there are several resources available for children and families in Spanish
Fork, Utah. One intervention placed by the city is Spanish Fork Unplugged. Play Unplugged
helps children to simply play! Spanish Fork Unplugged encourages active lifestyles and
promotes healthy activities while stimulating the local economy (Spanish Fork/Salem
Unplugged, 2013). Other resources available to the community that were used in this
intervention were various websites. Some of these included the mayo clinic, the CDC, the
National Institute of Medicine, and other national/government websites. Additional resources
used for this intervention were the Sierra Bonita Elementary classrooms, posters, and fliers
containing information obtained from government websites.
Constraints
Probably the most major constraint encountered during this process was that the
communication was primarily with children. Young minds learn a lot of information and it is
possible to lose some and retain others. The help counteract this constraint, a flier was provided
that summarized the classroom discussion and encouraged children to discuss what they learned
with their parent or guardian.
Community Based Intervention
The implemented community based intervention was an interactive discussion with a
third grade class at Sierra Bonita Elementary School in Spanish Fork, Utah. Childhood obesity is
very important and often goes undetected by parents. In fact, almost 75 percent of parents with
an obese child could not identify that their kid was overweight but appear normal in their eyes
(Childhood obesity facts, 2011). The discussion consisted of two Dixie State University
Bachelors of Science in Nursing Degree students leading the discussion on childhood obesity

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prevention. The children were encouraged to put on their thinking caps and ponder on what
they can to do lead healthier lifestyles. The nursing students provided visual aids with colorful
posters and a parent handout.
The intervention discussion topics were chosen based on evidence and from guidelines
set forth by national and governmental agencies. One area of focus was from the United States
Department of Agriculture and their emphasis on My Plate. My plate was set into motion on June
2, 2011 when the First Lady Michelle Obama and USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack released the
federal governments new food icon. The icon is a reminder to make healthier food choices
(n.d.). Another resource was from the National Football League. They created a slogan known as
Play 60 that invites children in communities across the nation to play for 60 minutes every day
(Play 60, 2014). A third initiative came from the Utah State Governor, Gary R. Herbert. He
encouraged Utah families to eat at least one meal a week at home, together. (Intermountain
Healthcare, 2014). This strengthens family bonds as well as promoting healthy food choices.
Conclusion
With childhood obesity rates on the rise, the time is now to provide education and assist
with healthy lifestyle changes. It is important for children to understand the benefits and risks to
the lifestyles they lead. Parents are encouraged to take an active role in their childs health to
prevent health complications further down the road. Prevention should be the steering wheel of
heath, not the spare tire.

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References
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Adolescent and school health. (2014, August 13).
Retrieved December 1, 2014 from http://www.cdc.gov/healthyyouth/obesity/facts.htm.
Childhood Obesity. (2014, February 14). Retrieved from http://www.mayoclinic.org/
diseases-conditions/childhoodobesity/basics/complications/con-20027428.
Childhood obesity statistics. (2011, August 28). Retrieved from
childhoodobesityfacts.org/childhood-obesity-statistics.
History of Spanish Fork. (2014). Retrieved December 1, 2014 from
http://www.spanishfork.org/dept/econdev/pdf/economicdevelopmentpacket.pdf.
Intermountain Healthcare. (2014, September 4). Governor Herbert declared September Healthy
Family Meals Month. Retrieved December 3, 2014 from
http://intermountainhealthcare.org/about/news/Pages/home.aspx?NewsID=1826.
Nies, M. A., McEwen, M. (2011). Community/public health nursing. (5th ed.) St. Louis, MO:
Elsevier.
Office of disease prevention and health promotion. Early and middle childhood. (2014,
December, 3). Retrieved December 3, 2014 from
Play 60. (2014). Retrieved December 3, 2014 from http://www.nflrush.com/play60.
Spanish Fork/Salem Unplugged. (2013). Retrieved December 3, 2014 from
http://weplayunplugged.com/spanishforksalemunplugged/.
The State of Obesity. The state of obesity in Utah. (2014). Retrieved December 3, 2014 from
http://stateofobesity.org/states/ut/.
https://www.healthypeople.gov/2020/topics-objectives/topic/early-and-middle-childhood.
Utah Department of Health. Utah's public health data resource. (October 7, 2014). Retrieved
December 1, 2014 from www.ibis.health.utah.gov.
United States Census Bureau. State and county quick facts. (2014, July 8). Retrieved December
1, 2014 from http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/49/4971290.html.
United States Department of Agriculture. About Us. (n.d.). Retrieved December 3, 2014 from
http://www.choosemyplate.gov/about.html.

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