Part 1: Windshield Survey (Unit 2) First, select a part of your community to survey. Part of this project involves collecting county data, but for Part 1, you will choose a smaller area to survey. If selecting

Assignment Overview:

Read the Instructions for the Population Health Assessment & Prevention Project first.
Use the Community Assessment Project Template to complete the project. Your data must be typed directly into the blank template provided, NOT into the instructions.
This project is divided into three parts for submission throughout the course. It is recommended to start on the project in week one and work steadily on this project to ensure timely completion.
The three parts of this project total 45% of the course grade.
Be sure to follow the directions closely in each section.

Instructions for Population Health Assessment & Prevention Project:

Part 1: Windshield Survey (Unit 2)

First, select a part of your community to survey. Part of this project involves collecting county data, but for Part 1, you will choose a smaller area to survey. If selecting a large city, such as San Antonio, Cincinnati, or Tampa, you may narrow your initial survey for Part 1 down to a smaller section of the city. However, you might want to survey other parts of the city as well, to get a sense of the city as a whole and fit that neighborhood or population in its context.

Sometimes, the best survey can be a combination of walking and driving. You might survey the whole city or area in a vehicle, then use a walking survey to look closely at the area you’re most interested in. You’ll see different things and more detail on foot; you’ll cover more ground and get a broader perspective from a vehicle. Also, consider how the time of day, weekday versus weekend, and the season will affect your survey. You will want to repeat your survey more than once to capture the differences between community conditions or activities at different times.

As you assess each area consider the impact on the health of the community and potential community needs (intervention). For example:

The effect of the physical environment; contamination of air or water; safe sidewalks for walking; or the quality of housing and potential impact on health outcomes.
Consider the implications of reduced access to health care services, food, or emergency care.
Consider the implications of educational and work/economic opportunities.
Consider the impact of social determinants on health outcomes (for example: the relationship between older homes in the community and high rates of lead exposure in children under the age of 5).
Think about individual behavior, health beliefs/values or perspectives, and the effect on the implementation of health promotion and disease prevention strategies.
Observe where and when people “hang out” and their behavior. Are kids playing in the street due to the lack of parks/recreation facilities or are the parks/recreation areas unsafe (observe who is “hanging out” in the parks/recreational facilities)?
Tips to Keep in Mind:

Make and use a checklist to ensure that you observe and address all the areas for the survey.
Try to be unobtrusive. Not only do people act differently when they know they’re being observed, but they may also become suspicious or hostile.
Take notes as you go along. (Do not take notes while driving). You may also want to take photos or videos with a camera or cell phone, to both remember and illustrate what you’ve seen. You can add a few of those to your report if you’d like. If you wait to take notes until after the survey is done, you may not remember everything clearly, or you may ignore important details.
Carry identification and be mindful of safety. Don’t stay in an area if you feel unsafe.