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Finding Information for a Community Health Assessment

What is a community health assessment?

A community health assessment is a systematic examination of the health status indicators for a given population that is used to identify key problems in a community. The ultimate goal of this kind of study, which is sometimes called a community diagnosis, is to develop strategies to address local health needs.

What kind of information is usually included in this kind of report?

A community assessment includes data on both demographics and health issues. However, the two categories overlap since health statistics only become meaningful when you consider the general characteristics of the population being profiled. Understanding some basic statistical terms can be helpful:

  • Vital statistics - systematically recorded information on births, deaths, and marital status
  • Health statistics - for diseases or health conditions, data on morbidity, mortality, incidence (number of new cases for a specified population at a given point in time) and prevalence (total number of cases in a specified population at a given point in time)
  • Demographics - data on the size, structure and dynamics of human populations, including socioeconomic factors such as employment, housing, education and income

More definitions can be found in this Glossary of Statistical Terms.

Where do I find the data on the health of my North Carolina community?

Finding sources for demographic and health statistics can be very challenging. Here are some general tips to keep in mind:
  • Federal, state and local governments collect health data, as do various health organizations (example: American Heart Association)
  • Some statistics are collected regularly, some only occasionally. In general, expect a lag time of at least one year before most statistics are published. Also, expect some gaps and discrepancies
  • Statistics are not regularly collected for all areas or topics
  • Data on some chronic conditions and health behaviors may be difficult to locate because there is no law mandating the reporting of this information to local health departments (not "notifiable diseases")
  • Become familiar with some major data collection efforts, such as those used for the Healthy People 2010 Report.
  • Many federal agencies collect data at the state and even county and municipal level, so the federal government can be a great source for local statistics
  • When browsing web sites, look for categories such as publications and reports as well as statistics and data
  • Use a good Internet search engine, such as Google, when you are looking for more obscure data

Where should I begin my search for North Carolina data?

The best place to start is the web site for the North Carolina State Center for Health Statistics. here are some links to investigate:

Can I find additional demographic and health data on my North Carolina community?

Are there other places to go for my community data?

Yes! Take a look at the Community Diagnosis papers done by students in the Health Behavior and Health Education Department in the School of Public Health. While some of these studies are online, most are print only. The print studies can be found by searching in the UNC Library Catalog on the subject "Community Health Services - North Carolina" or by browsing the Health Sciences Library book collection under the call number WA 546 AN8 S372.

Are there any other sources I should know about?

If you are looking for more detailed information on finding health statistics, these guides should be helpful:

Where can I get more help here at UNC?

Contact the Health Sciences Library staff by calling (919) 962-0800 during library hours or use HSL's Ask a Librarian service.