Our community is located in Philadelphia, PA, which is one of the largest cities in the U.S., characterized by its multi-ethnic population. Health equity is a serious concern here because ethnic, cultural, and economic diversity leads to the emergence of high-risk groups in terms of obesity and associated conditions. My practice location is the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, and I often encounter diverse patients with weight-related cardiovascular issues and diabetes. Based on the HealthyPeople classification, the main public health determinants in our community are Social Determinants of Health, Nutrition and Weight Status, and Access to Health Services (Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, 2020). I believe that health issues originate from the lack of education, adequate healthcare access, and relevant policies, so obesity and its comorbidities might be prevented by the coordinated action of healthcare professionals and patients.
In addition to the recent COVID-19 pandemic, there has been a rise in mosquito-borne infections during the summer months. West Nile virus, Zika virus, and malaria in my community are caused by untreated outside water pools and climate change (Philadelphia Department of Public Health, 2020). However, the most prevalent health concerns in my community are tobacco smoking, opioids use, and obesity/overweight in youth and adults. Notably, about 70% of Black or Hispanic youth are overweight/obese (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2021). Thus, children and young people aged 5-19 are at risk of obesity due to poor nutritional choices, inadequate health education, or financial limits of their families (Holtz, 2021). There are currently wealthy weight counseling services and nutrition education for parents offered at several local community health centers, including the support of non-native English speakers. More action is still needed to improve the affordability of healthy diets and promote proper nutrition in kindergartens, schools, and homes.
References
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2021). Community profile: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. CDC.
Holtz, C. (2021). Global health care: Issues and policies (4th ed.). Jones & Bartlett Learning.
Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion. (2020). Topics and objectives. HealthyPeople.gov.
Philadelphia Department of Public Health. (2020). Travel-related arboviral infections: Chikungunya, Dengue, and Zika viruses. PDPH Health Information Portal. Web.