Running head: WINDSHIELD SURVEY

Windshield Survey Kelli J. Koop Ferris State University

WINDSHIELD SURVEY

Windshield Survey Community What is a community? The definition of a community can be described in a variety of ways. According to the Webster New World Dictionary, a community is (1)a group of people living together as a smaller social unit within a larger one, and having interests, work, etc. in common or (2) all the people living in a particular district, city, etc. (Guralink, 1984, pp. 288). In Health Promotion in Nursing, Maville (2013) defines community as referring to a collection of like-minded people who work with each other and who have common traits and interests (pp. 484). When searched on Dictionary.com (2013), a community is defined as a social group of any size whose members reside in a specific locality, share government, and often have a common cultural and historical heritage. On the other hand, Harkness (2012) defines a community as a group of peoples sharing common interests, needs, resources, and environment; an interrelating and interacting group of people with shared needs and interests (pp. 8). Though all these definitions have similar ideas of what a community is, it is clear to see that the definition of a community has evolved and is dependent on who is defining it. From a nursing point-of-view, a community is an important variable to improve the health of individuals and the population. Community Health: Population vs. Individual Focus Nursing is a broad career that can be split into a variety of branches. Take for instance community health and public health nursing; the primary difference between the two is the focus of care. Community health nursing delivers care to

WINDSHIELD SURVEY individual people, families, and community groups that contribute to the health of the population as a whole, while public health nursing is a population-based practice (Harkness & DeMarco, 2012, pp. 9). However, there is an overlap between these two concepts. According to Harkness (2012), community health provides services to individual clients and families as a means of improving the health of the population (pp. 8) and public health provides services as a response to the individual health of the community (pp. 9). The two services connect or collaborate together to obtain the optimal health of the population; by improving the health of the people they can eventually improve the health of the overall population. Health Risks Health risk factors are prevalent in all communities; upon evaluating the Missaukee County community through a windshield survey, the identification of four different risk factors was made. According to Missaukee County Health Profile Summary 2012, overweight and obesity is a health risk factor; currently 33.5% of

the community is overweight and 32.7% is obese. It is suspected that these statistics have influenced the high rate of diabetes in the area. The second risk factor is access to healthcare; there are 3,747 patients to one doctor, which triples the average number for Michigan. Also, 31.6% of the community does not have insurance compared to the Michigan average of 15.1%. Third, 26.4% of the community smokes, making health risks associated with smoking, such as cancer, a concern. Finally, poverty is a possible risk factor for this community. Approximately 16% of the community lives below the poverty line, which increases their health risks significantly (Michigan Department of Community Health, 2012).

WINDSHIELD SURVEY Healthy People 2020 Health Indicator Healthy People 2020 assists in identifying health indicators of the

population. There are many health indicators that are appropriate for the Missaukee County community such as: nutrition, physical activity, and obesity; tobacco; access to healthcare; and social determinants. (United States Department of Heath and Human Resources, 2013) An important one to focus on is nutrition, physical activity, and obesity because it can lower an individuals health risks, promote a healthy lifestyle, and prevent future health complications. However, most Americans do not adhere to a healthful diet and are not physically active at levels needed to maintain proper health (Healthy people 2020, 2013). Nursing Role Maville supports the health indicator by identifying an activist and proactive change agent for the community. In the role of proactive change agent, the nurse performs a thorough assessment of the patient, family, and community. Once the strengths and weaknesses are identified, the proactive change agent nurse builds on those strengths, enhances existing resources, and fosters support systems that enhance the persons ability to change (Maville, 2013, pp. 59). Therefore, Healthy People 2020s nutrition, physical activity, and obesity health indicator is very important for the community. The nurses role supports the health indicator by addressing the need for changing the communitys lifestyle, improving their nutrition, and increasing their activity to improve their overall health.

WINDSHIELD SURVEY References Community. (n.d.). Dictionary.com's 21st Century Lexicon. Retrieved from http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/community Guralink, D. (1984) Websters new world dictionary. (p. 288). New York; Simon and Schuster. Harkness , G., & DeMarco , R. (2012). Community and public health nursing. (p. 8). Philadelphia: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.

Maville, J., & Huerta, C. (2013) Health promotion in nursing. (p. 59). Delmar; Cengage Learning. Michigan Department of Community Health, US Census Bureau, County Health Rankings, MI Department of Technology, Management and Budget, Michigan League for Public Policy, & Michigan Care Improvement Registry. (2012) Missaukee county health profile summary 2012. Retrieved from Ferris State University Blackboard; Professor Dood. United States Department of Health and Human Services, Healthy People 2020. (2013, June 06) Nutrition, physical activity, and obesity. Retrieved from http://www.healthypeople.gov/2020/LHI/nutrition.aspx.

Appendix A

WINDSHIELD SURVEY Housing and Zoning Rural and Suburb In town: zoning Out of town: no zoning Housing: mostly older homes, very few newer homes Stone/brick housing and wood housing; mixture of both Open Space Farmland (fields of hay, corn, soy beans, trees, etc.) Lake Missaukee Transportation Vehicles Horse and buggy Razors 4-Wheelers Tractors Mopeds Bicycles Motorcycles Education Baker College of Cadillac: Center for Transportation and Technology Lake City High School Lake City Middle School Lake City Elementary School Missaukee County Child Developmental Center Larsons Early Learning Center Michigan State Agriculture Research Farm Stores and Street People Fosters Dollar General & Family Dollar Lake Citys Little Store Hopkins Creek Outfitters A&L Party Store Millers Corner Shopko (pharmacy) Arlettas Flowers Car dealerships: Classic Chevrolet Spriks Auto Sales Very few people on streets at 7:00pm:

6 Race and Ethnicity Caucasian, Hispanic, and African American Predominately a Dutch/Caucasian community

Religions and Politics Lake City CRC Friends Ministry: Thrift Store St. Johns Lutheran Church Missaukee Court House Missaukee County Police Lake Township Hall Missaukee County: Prosecuting Attorney Lake City Chamber of Commerce Secretary of State Lake City Assembly of God

Boundaries Road: M-66 From M-55 to M-42

Health and Morbidity District Health Department # 10 Dentist Offices Gladhands Chiropractor Internal Medicine Lake City Family Dentistry John Street Clinic Renaissance Medical Clinic Four Seasons Dental Associates Curves No Hospitals

WINDSHIELD SURVEY Few people smoking outside of the bars Signs of Decay Run down homes Trailer Park Some garbage on the roads and ditches

Commons Missaukee County Beach City Beach Community Beach Fat ladies Beach Basketball, skate boarding, tennis courts Services: NAPA / Auto Value / Roots Quick Lube Food: McDonalds, BC Pizza, Dons All American Pizza, Food Factory, Subway, A&L, Hollywood Bar, Tasty Treat, Dairy Queen, Pasties, Family Diner, Coffee Cup, Martys Pizza & Grill Beauty Saloons: Dimension & Majestic & Kens barber Shop Chemical Bank and Fifth Third bank, Wexford Community Credit Union Gas Stations: Wesco, Shell, Mobile, Marathon Dry cleaners L&J Meat Market Voelker Implementation: John Deere Tractor Supply Holtons LP Gas Company Pearson Drilling Company Missaukee Golf Club

Media Satellite dishes on majority of the homes. Missaukee Sentinel Newspaper Videos North

Steeple Storage Units PK Construction Lerg Construction Pawn Shop: New for You Remax and White Tail Real Estate Sassafras: green house Self-Serve Lumbar Car Wash Northcrest Motel, Lakeview Motel Ardis Missaukee District Library United States Post Office Lake City Senior Center American Legion Super Kleen Laundry Lakeside Farm Market Missaukee Conservation Club Missaukee Country Road Commission Missaukee County Fire Department Lake City Cemetery