SECONDARY DATA COLLECTION METHODOLOGY

The community diagnosis process began with an orientation to Pittsboro and research into its history. We tried to gather information from as many secondary data sources as possible in order to get an introduction to the community and a general picture of its dynamics and demographics. We utilized several different sources for our secondary data and a list of these sources are included in Appendix C. We visited the Pittsboro Memorial Library, the Chatham County Health Department, the Economic Development Office, the agricultural center, the student health center at Horton Middle School known as the Body Shop, and the courthouse museum to find secondary data on Pittsboro, in addition to using the Internet and making phone calls.

While gathering this data, it became evident that much of the information available was only at the county level. For this reason, some of the secondary data collected will not be included in our assessment of Pittsboro. Another limitation to the secondary data, in terms of socio-demographics, is its age. At the time of data collection census data was only available for 1990 and the explosive growth in Pittsboro in the last five years alone makes much of this data obsolete. Furthermore, much of the data we collected was shared with us by providers in Pittsboro and we wanted to be careful not to simply present them with information they already know. In consideration of these limitations, we as a group chose to focus primarily on service provider interviews for our "outsider perspective." We do, however, understand the importance of secondary data and used this information to reinforce and guide the issues that surfaced in our interviews. Following is a detailed summary of the methods used to collect our secondary data.

In order to collect secondary data on the demographics of Pittsboro we used on-line information and materials available at UNC Davis Library. We found data on population size, breakdown by age and race, employment rates, and educational information. This provides us with a general picture of Pittsboro and the people that live there. We were cautious when interpreting this data and applying it to our understanding of the community, however, because, as we mentioned before, all of the census data available is from 1990. There has been significant recent growth in Pittsboro so this information may not be applicable to Pittsboro today. It does, however, provide us with an understanding of how issues facing Pittsboro may be a result of changes that have occurred recently. We also used the Internet to look at some maps of the Pittsboro community. The on-line maps provided useful information about the borders and major roads through the town but, unfortunately, gave no information on major natural landmarks or on population density. To research history, culture, and religion, we visited the Pittsboro Memorial Library as well as the Historical Museum in the Courthouse and reviewed artifacts and historical documents. We also spoke with a member of the Chatham County Historical Association. We reviewed Pittsboro-specific documents in UNC Wilson Library and spent time looking over microfilms of old Pittsboro newspapers.

Initially, an Internet search was used to collect data on Pittsboro's government, economy and transportation; however, this search again resulted in a majority of countywide information. In an attempt to find more Pittsboro-specific data we visited the Pittsboro City Office (a branch of the Chatham County Chamber of Commerce), the agricultural office, the Chatham County Economic Development Corporation in Pittsboro and Pittsboro Memorial library. Although this second search for data also resulted in more Chatham-wide statistics some important Pittsboro data was identified.

Secondary data collection relevant to health began by using the Internet to determine what information was available from the North Carolina Office of State Planning and the North Carolina State Center for Health Statistics. The Chatham County Health Department also had a website which provided general information on their services. After the services were determined, we visited the health department where we were provided with up-to-date documents of local information. Phone calls were made to local providers at Chatham Together, Child Protective Services, and Family Planning in order to obtain Pittsboro-specific data where possible. In terms of gathering information on high-risk behavior statistics for teens there were several sources available to us. We reviewed the 2000 Alcohol and Other Drugs Survey and the Juvenile Delinquency Risk Factor Indicators. In our search for secondary data sources we discovered that there is also a very extensive range of social services available to the community. These resources are listed in Appendix F, Table 10.

In order to obtain information on education in Pittsboro we reviewed online school profiles from the public schools in Pittsboro. We also researched various educational resources and programs in Chatham County such as Smart Start, the Chatham Education Foundation and the Chatham County Partnership for Children.

Since lack of recreation was a theme that appeared early we included it in our secondary data search. The Chatham County Parks and Recreation Department is a major resource for the citizens of Pittsboro, especially the youth. When we visited the Recreation Department we picked up several brochures outlining various recreational opportunities (such as, 4-H, Girl Scouts/Boy Scouts, organized sports after school, church activities, the Chatham County Arts Council, and activities at Jordan Lake and Haw River) in order to get a sense of what is available to the residents of Pittsboro.

To augment our secondary data collection process, a team member also joined the Chatham County Chatlist. These daily postings were analyzed to identify themes, issues, and cultural/religious events impacting Pittsboro, as well as to begin to identify possible key informants among community members.

In addition to these secondary data sources we spent time in Pittsboro. We attended the Family Health and Fitness Fair at Central Carolina Community College, we helped staff the Chatham Coalition for Adolescent Health booth at the Pittsboro Street Fair, attended the George Moses Horton Gala at Horton Middle School, and volunteered at the Teen Center once a week. We also attended the Chatham Coalition for Adolescent Health Retreat and many of the coalition's subsequent monthly meetings. This involvement provided us with an opportunity to get to know the coalition members and other community members who proved to be an excellent source of service provider and key informant interviews.

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