ASSESSING HEALTH IN AN URBAN NEIGHBORHOOD - COMMUNITY PROCESS, DATA RESULTS AND IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE

This article examines the community process and data results of a heal th assessment conducted in an urban neighborhood of a middle-size city in Western Massachusetts. It describes the four-stage development pro cess of the Health Assessment Project (HAP), a collaboration of the UM ASS School of Public Health faculty and students, community based orga nizations and youth residents: (1) planning with a contemporary partic ipatory approach, (2) implementing the data collection with traditiona l survey methodology, (3) tailoring the data analysis for a presentati on at a community forum and report, and (4) incorporating the communit y's reaction to data results. In addition, it presents selected data r esults on health conditions of individual household members and percei ved community health concerns and resources. Salient data results incl ude high rates of chronic health conditions such as asthma and other r espiratory problems among residents 0-18, back pain and other musculos keletal among younger adults 19-54, and high blood pressure and other cardi-circulatory problems among older adults age 55 and older. The th ree most prevalent perceived community concerns are substance abuse, g angs and drug dealing. Identified community resources include sources of (1) providers of primary care, (2) health information as family/fri ends and Spanish media, (3) social activity such as churches and schoo ls. Finally, this paper concludes by discussing implications for commu nity health practice.