Part 1: The Overview Page (create this for faculty viewing only—this should not be used in agency education)

Reflect on your agency interview. What did the agency recommend as needed education?
What was your assessment of the vulnerable population\’s COVID-19 related educational needs based on your research and the agency interview?
Was your assessment of the needs of the population the same as the agency feedback? Why or why not?
Reflect on the feedback you received in the Week 3 Discussion Board from faculty and peers, and incorporate as appropriate.
How will you measure whether the education was effective? (You will need to write about the evaluation of your education for the Week 4 Individual Project.)
How will you anticipate health outcomes to be improved over time?
Part 2: 12 pages of evidence-based educational material designed for a 5th-grade audience OR a poster (refer to references and best practices for health education materials or poster development)

The education must include the following:

Title of education and name of student
Clear, easy-to-understand language (5th-grade level)
Pictures to add clarity to the words
Bullet points if possible
Faculty approval prior to delivery
Can be delivered orally or written depending upon audience and agency recommendations/needs
Poster is an option but only if education allows for a follow-up evaluation to determine whether education was effective
References must be current (within 3 years) and cited at the bottom of the educational material

Unit 3 Individual Project

Name

Institution

Date

Unit 3 Individual Project

Part 1

Reflection on the Agency Interview

The agency interview took place in the Brea Community Center where I interviewed the leader of the after-school program. The leader works with the Hispanic population, the low-income socio-economic class, and childhood obesity. The interviewee coordinates the program and equally works to provide care and assistance to the vulnerable populations. The agency interview provides insights regarding the problems that the vulnerable populations face as well as the needs that must be met to ensure the populations achieve optimal health outcomes. Some of the issues facing the populations that came up during the interview include inequalities associated with their social class and immigration status, low income and low access to healthcare services as well as discrimination (Tangcharoensathien et al., 2018). The above issues are likely to make the populations shy away from seeking care or health-related interventions. The agency recommended education on the washing of hands to prevent the contracting and transmission of COVID-19.

Assessment of the Vulnerable Population’s COVID-19 Related Educational Needs

Based on the assessment of my research on the agency interview, the vulnerable population’s educational needs related to COVID-19 include washing hands and nutrition. The interview brought into the limelight gaps related to proper handwashing and nutrition patterns. Due to the vulnerable population’s social/economic status, they barely access healthy foods. Similarly, the population does not take seriously the issue of proper handwashing as preventive measures to acquiring and transmitting COVID-19. The two educational needs are significant in determining the population’s health outcomes. HealthyPeople.gov. (2019) asserts that educational interventions focus on disease prevention, improving the population’s health, and enhancement of quality of life.  If the populations are therefore educated on nutrition and proper handwashing, they are likely to show a change of lifestyle and behavior that will promote the achievement of positive health outcomes

Needs Assessment

Yes. My assessment needs and those of the agency were the same. My assessment established that one of the populations (childhood obesity) served by the agency required comprehensive education on nutrition to improve their health outcomes and reduce the risk of having complications especially in adulthood. According to Sanyaolu et al. (2019), childhood obesity in the US has reached the epidemic status with the prevalence rate being at 17 percent. The condition is linked to heart diseases, stroke, and poor quality of life. Similarly, I noted that the populations practiced minimal and improper hand hygiene exposing them to the virus. Some of the populations washed their hands without soap which was ineffective in preventing contracting or transmitting COVID-19. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends regular handwashing with soap and water (Rundle et al., 2020).  Both the agency and I felt the need for more sensitization on the importance of proper handwashing and proper nutrition to minimize infections.

Evaluation

The evaluation process is of great significance in determining whether the recommended activities have been carried out as desired. Evaluating a project allows the project managers to analyze both the successes and flaws while equally providing an opportunity for improvement. The evaluation process would be largely reliant on the populations’ ability to change behavior and perceptions on the identified needs. The two identified needs were nutrition and hand washing. The populations need to show a change in eating habits for example more consumption of fruits and vegetables as compared to foods high in fats, sugars, and carbohydrates. Similarly, on handwashing, the populations need to demonstrate regular handwashing practices with soap and water. The evaluation would be based on either a positive or negative view of the entire process of education. It is important to note that some people view a change of their lifestyles as an intrusion into their personal lives hence are likely to show resistance. A show of resistance to either changing eating habits or engaging in regular hand washing would communicate the need to make changes in the educational processes.

Anticipation of Health Outcomes

The anticipated health outcomes would include a reduction of the childhood obesity rates among the populations. Obesity rates are directly proportional to weight and BMI. According to Centers for Disease Prevention and Control. (2018), childhood obesity is marked by a body mass above 85th percentile. If the population’s show a reduction of the population’s weight would be a positive indicator of a change and new preferences for fresh and balanced meals as compared to foods high in cholesterol, sugars, and sodium. Besides weight reduction, a reduction in cholesterol levels would be an indicator of healthy eating patterns. It is important to note high cholesterol levels and unproportioned body mass index (BMI) are risk factors for comorbidities such as cardiovascular diseases, high burden of healthcare costs, and poor quality of life among the populations (Carson et al., 2020).  Another health outcome that would be expected to improve over time is the populations’ immunity. Due to the consumption of healthy foods like fresh vegetables, fruits, and whole grains, they are likely to have an improved immunity. Hence their probability of acquiring easily transmitted infections like flu will reduce. Regular and proper handwashing will equally lower their probability of acquiring infectious diseases among them COVID-19.

Part 2- Poster

References

HealthyPeople.gov. (2019, September 26). Educational and community-based programs. Retrieved from https://www.healthypeople.gov/2020/topics-objectives/topic/educational-and-community-based-programs

Rundle, C. W., Presley, C. L., Militello, M., Barber, C., Powell, D. L., Jacob, S. E., … & Dunnick, C. A. (2020). Hand hygiene during COVID-19: recommendations from the American Contact Dermatitis Society. Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology.

Centers for Disease Prevention and Control. (2018). Healthy Schools. Retrieved from https://www.cdc.gov/healthyschools/obesity/facts.htm

Sanyaolu, A., Okorie, C., Qi, X., Locke, J., & Rehman, S. (2019). Childhood and adolescent obesity in the United States: a public health concern. Global pediatric health, 6, 2333794X19891305.

Carson, J. A. S., Lichtenstein, A. H., Anderson, C. A., Appel, L. J., Kris-Etherton, P. M., Meyer, K. A., … & Van Horn, L. (2020). Dietary cholesterol and cardiovascular risk: a science advisory from the American Heart Association. Circulation, 141(3), e39-e53.

Tangcharoensathien, V., Mills, A., Das, M. B., Patcharanarumol, W., Buntan, M., & Johns, J. (2018). Addressing the health of vulnerable populations: social inclusion and universal health coverage. Journal of global health, 8(2), 020304. https://doi.org/10.7189/jogh.08.020304