Community Simulation Activity: Health Problems in Sentinel City, C228

This report presents an analysis of a community health simulation in Sentinel City, identifying three major health problems: negative lifestyles, inequality in the availability of social and health services, and an unhealthy environment. The analysis connects these problems to the Healthy People 2020 ...Read More

Running head: COMMUNITY SIMULATION ACTIVITY
Part C: Community Diagnosis
Three Problems for Sentinel City
The Healthy People 2020 is a health initiative that was launched by the United States
Department of Health and Human Services in 2010 with the aim to improve the overall health
of the American people. The Health People initiative is guided by four comprehensive goals
(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC], 2013):
i. Attainment of quality and prolonged lives characterized by prevention of disease,
injury, and premature death.
ii. Ensuring health equity prevails, eliminating disparities, and improving the health of
individuals across the lifespan.
iii. Building healthy social and physical environments to promote the attainment of good
health; and
iv. Advocating for quality life, healthy development across the lifespan, and attainment
of healthy behaviors for all.
Three Health Concerns in Sentinel City
In reference to the above-mentioned four overarching goals that are highly branched to
include 42 topic areas, the three problems identified within Sentinel City include:
a. Negative Lifestyle
Negative lifestyle is aligned to the Health People 2020 in the domain of health-related
quality of life and wellbeing where an individual’s way of living has a substantial influence
on his or her physical, social, and mental functioning as influenced by the environment
(Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion [ODPHP], 2020). There is a high
number of restaurants and outside home eateries as well as the presence of individuals with
large body sizes, all suggesting that the social, physical, and mental health of an individual
can be made better by promotion of healthy behaviors to enhance quality of life across the

COMMUNITY SIMULATION ACTIVITY
lifespan. Food quality in restaurants does not really give importance to nutritive value
because taste and presentation are given more importance; hence the physical health which
eventually affects the social and mental health is affected (Namkung & Jang, 2007). The food
might be high in calories and some of the harmful nutrients, such as sodium and cholesterol.
Movement is limited in Industrial Heights compared to the other districts; yet,
mobility and associated physical activity are important in the attainment of physical health.
There is an indication that abortion goes on in Industrial Heights suggesting cultural
connotations linked to pregnancy because it is only in Industrial Heights, which is
predominantly African-American, that pregnancy is an issue. Once again, the goal of healthy
behavior is emphasized because sexuality seems to be a problem as seen in the billboard
hanging suggesting the normalcy of pregnancy termination that affects the physical, mental,
and social domains of a quality life. The community members’ perceptions of unexpected
pregnancy is life-threatening and attaining quality life is thwarted. Also, there is the issue of
drug issue within the city as shown by billboards. Drugs impede the attainment of quality life
and overall wellbeing (ODPHP, 2020).
b. Inequality in Availability of Social and Health Services
The distribution of health resources is not equal because Industrial Heights has the
least resources which could be explained by the fact it has the lowest median household
income. Whereas in Nightingale, Acer Tech and Casper Park Districts have more social
amenities, Industrial Heights has fewer resources which is not in alignment with the Healthy
People 2020 goal of enhancing access to “comprehensive and quality” health care services
(ODPHP, 2020). While there should be products and services to promote healthy behavior for
all, most of the health promotion billboards are better distributed in Nightingale, Acer Tech,
and Casper Park districts and sparsely placed in Industrial Heights. Also, there are no senior
living homes in Industrial Heights, and there is only one healthcare facility: Better Health

COMMUNITY SIMULATION ACTIVITY
Clinic, which is seemingly a small facility whose capacity to address the health needs of the
people at Industrial Height, farthest from Sentinel Hospital, is not guaranteed. Such limitation
explains why pregnancy is an issue in the district. Apart from Better Health Clinic, there is no
other health facility in the district. In addition, there are no drug stores and dentist services in
close proximity within Industrial Heights and such lack tends to compromise the health of the
people within the district.
c. Unhealthy Environment
Rodents can be seen jumping and running in areas where there are heaps of garbage
or waste contrary to the advocacy by the Health People 2020 goals to create a safe
environment free of toxic substances and hazardous wastes (ODPHP, 2020). This element is
further exacerbated by the presence of stray animals, like the stray dog near the soup kitchen.
Such stray dogs are usually not well cared for in the context of vaccination; hence, if it
accidentally attacks and bites a person, it could cause infection that could be prevented if the
dog was under someone’s care. There are damaged vehicles lying on the roads. There is no
clear indication of how the city manages its wastes, which are the major environmental issue
(ODPHP, 2020).
Community Resources
The presence of healthcare services, for example, the Sentinel Hospital and Better
Health Clinic presumably play a significant role in promoting health behavior to avoid
overburdening the healthcare system with preventable conditions. There are recreation spaces
where individuals can engage in physical activity; the school has a playing ground and the
city has spaces either in front or behind the buildings where individuals can use to engage in
activities either as individuals if safe or as groups. The presence of a communication medium
is a strong attribute for the city because it can be used to engage individuals in health
promotion campaigns in Industrial Heights to help the people gain inform. The radio station

COMMUNITY SIMULATION ACTIVITY
is an important resource that can be used by ambassadors of health to disseminate relevant
information to the community and aid in the advertising health promotion campaigns. For
example, the radio station can play a significant role in promoting an initiative aiming to
advocate for an equal distribution of resources while giving importance to cultural beliefs.
For example, through the radio station, the community can be made aware on how to utilize
resources within the city to ax the negative living behavior. Nonetheless, it would be
imperative for healthcare providers to be culturally competent so as to attract the attention of
the targeted populations and promote a positive response through increased utilization of
healthcare services (American Sentinel University, 2019).
Primary Prevention Topic
Improving Environmental Quality and Physical Environment. Recycling is not
enough in waste management. Therefore, it is necessary to lobby for external services to aid
in removing the heaps of waste lying in distinct parts of the city across the four districts.
There is a public health department, which should ensure that the environment is clean and
safe. Hence, it should organize educational forums to educate all the residents of Sentinel
City across the four districts, on an equal scale, on recyclable wastes and seek external help to
remove toxic and hazardous wastes in the environment. Sequentially, this will help to
eliminate the hazardous elements in the environment, including heaps of waste, stray animals,
and abandoned vehicles, as well as improve the utilization of parks. The department of public
health can engineer the development of safety support networks consisting of relevant
stakeholders who collectively can work together to promote the development the city as it
would include individuals who are well-versed with the individual’s/home’s/community’s
needs as well as individuals who can lobby for aid from the right places, such as the
government, donors, and interested organizations to attain the desired level of a clean, safe,
and healthy environment (Queensland Government, 2020).

COMMUNITY SIMULATION ACTIVITY
Part D: Application of Assessment Strategies
Using the approved activities list, I would be able to focus on the different segments
of health while checking for the availability of intervention strategies to promote the
attainment of good health in reference to a particular domain of health. The four tools would
also be useful in the comprehensive assessment of the area in reference to the myriad
domains of health included in the approve activities list. Sometimes, one tends to consider
some problems as normal, for example, the abandonment of cars on the road, but after this
community simulation activity, I have developed a new perspective of looking at things. It is
no longer about what is normal, which is mainly influence by cultural norms, as opposed to
what is healthy. Thereby, I will apply the assessment strategies I have learned here to
evaluate the buildings, outdoor activities, outdoor spaces and associated environment in the
context of well-tendered yards, presence of waste, and the presence of flower/tree boxes,
utilization of these spaces, availability of health and social amenities, crime rate, drug use,
movement of individuals, presence of environmental hazards such as stray dogs,
advertisement and notification billboards or posters, means of transportation, and the type of
people outside. I will use these elements to identify the problems within my community and
determine the adequacy of healthcare and social amenities in reference to the people’s needs
and cultural beliefs. For example, while some communities might not hold the use of senior
living or nursing homes in regard, it should be evident that mobile healthcare services are
available to provide support to those caring for the elderly at homes.
An interesting assessment strategy is to relate the demographics of an area to the
available social and health facilities as it helps to determine the adequacy of these services.
For example, in the case of Industrial Heights, it would seem justifiable that the few social
and health care facilities are in line with the low population but the fact that the area has the
highest proportion of dependents in reference to those under-fives and the disabled suggests a

COMMUNITY SIMULATION ACTIVITY
gap in the delivery and distribution of health and social care resources (American Sentinel
University, 2019). The situation at Sentinel City is a typical representation of the
contemporary society where richer societies are better equipped with health and social care
resources compare to poorer societies (Zhang, Xu, Ren, Sun, & Liu, 2017).

COMMUNITY SIMULATION ACTIVITY
References
American Sentinel University. (2019). Sentinel City Simulation Environment. Retrieved from
https://wgu.ucertify.com/?func=ebook&chapter_no=7#top.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC]. (2013). Healthy People 2020: Oral
Health Objectives. Retrieved from https://www.cdc.gov/oralhealth/about/healthy-
people.html.
Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion [ODPHP]. (2020). Health-related
Quality of Life & Well-being. Retrieved from
https://www.healthypeople.gov/2020/topics-objectives/topic/health-related-quality-of-
life-well-being.
Queensland Government. (2020). Safety and Support Networks. Retrieved from
https://www.qld.gov.au/community/caring-child/foster-kinship-care/information-for-
carers/rights-and-responsibilities/relationships/safety-and-support-networks.
Namkung, Y., & Jang, S. (2007). Does Food Quality Really Matter in Restaurants? Its Impact
On Customer Satisfaction and Behavioral Intentions. Journal of Hospitality &
Tourism Research, 31(3), 387–409. https://doi.org/10.1177/1096348007299924.
Zhang, T., Xu, Y., Ren, J., Sun, L., & Liu, C. (2017). Inequality in the distribution of health
resources and health services in China: hospitals versus primary care institutions.
International Journal for Equity in Health, 16(42). Doi: 10.1186/s12939-017-0543-9.