Chapter 3

 
Community Health
Community health 
• was focused on improving the health and well-being of those in
the community. Through different initiatives, community
health strived to provide clean living environments, prevention of the
spread of disease, and access to healthcare for all.
What are the environmental health problems in the community?
They include:

• Exposure to hazardous substances in the air, water, soil, and food.

• Natural and technological disasters.
• Climate change.
• Occupational hazards.
• The built environment.
Types of community health services

• Financial support. ...

• Multi-service agencies. ...
• Communication resources (speech and language services) ...
• Behavioural resources. ...
• Sensory and motor services. ...
• Social and recreation services. ...
• Family support and respite services. ...
• School services.
Community based health promotion emphasizes primary prevention and population based
perspective (traditional prevention). It is the goal of community health to have individuals in
a certain community improve their lifestyle or seek medical attention.
Community health is a medical specialty that focuses
on the physical and mental well-being of the people in a
specific geographic region. This important subsection of
public health includes initiatives to help community
members maintain and improve their health, prevent the
spread of infectious diseases and prepare for natural
disasters.
“Working at the community level promotes healthy
living, helps prevent chronic diseases and brings the
greatest health benefits to the greatest number of
people in need,” reports the 
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CD
C)
Strong community health requires residents to look
beyond themselves and take “collective
responsibility,” says Caleb Backe, health and wellness
expert at Maple Holistics. “It’s not just about the
healthcare system, but focuses on the importance of
leading a generally healthy lifestyle in order to protect
the community as a whole.”
Community health is inextricably tied to individual
wellness. “Good community health equates to healthy
people, as a community is the ecosystem or environment in
which people live,” says Thomas G. Bognanno, president
and CEO of Community Health Charities. “It’s difficult to
be healthy personally if your community is unhealthy.”
The consequences of neglecting community health
• A lack of focus on community health can lead to a range of complex
problems that aren’t easy to correct. For example, crime and safety
issues that result from neglected community health can quickly
becoming a self-perpetuating cycle. “Repeated exposure to crime and
violence may be linked to an increase in negative health outcomes.
Children exposed to violence may show increased signs of aggression
starting in upper-elementary school,” reports Healthy People 2020.2
• Chronic diseases, such as diabetes and heart disease, can also
increase if a community’s overall well-being is suffering. “An
unhealthy community tends to be obese and struggle more from
chronic diseases and other health challenges,” Bognanno says.
• Chronic diseases like these not only reduce life expectancy, they have a
dramatic effect on the economy. The CDC reports that 90 percent of
the nation’s annual healthcare expenses are for people with chronic
health conditions.3
• Curbing the spread of infectious disease is also a priority of
community health programs. Without them, communities may find
themselves battling outbreaks of illnesses that put vulnerable
populations like the elderly at higher risk.
• “If a community has to recover from an emergency event, such as a
natural disaster, reducing the spread of disease becomes a crucial part
of the recovery process,” Backe says.
Factors that improve community health
• Improving community health is a huge undertaking that involves
cooperation between public health workers, local government,
volunteers and average citizens alike—and the end products of their
work can take a lot of forms. “Communities benefit from walking trails
and bike paths, from access to healthy food and playgrounds, from
accessible healthcare services, schools and places of employment, as
well as affordable housing,” Bognanno says.
• Education also plays a large role in maintaining community health.
Health fairs and advertising campaigns that expose the dangers of risk
factors like tobacco exposure, poor nutrition and physical inactivity
can raise awareness about the importance of choosing a healthy
lifestyle. The CDC has also focused on promoting nutrition guidelines
in schools and increasing the amount of physical education children
receive.
• Individuals can step up to the plate for their community’s health by
volunteering at health fairs or blood drives, petitioning local officials
to develop more green space and walking trails and maintaining their
own health. “The collective responsibilities that individuals have for
their communal health can lead to positive interactions within the
community as a whole,” Backe says.