Sentinel City is a community mainly occupied by business units. The majority of houses in the city are two-storeyed and made of brick or concrete. Some of the old buildings appear to be in bad condition, while others are properly maintained. The city does not use sources of sustainable energy, such as solar panels and windmills. There are no obvious modern facilities, such as air conditioning, central heating, or plumbing. The landscape is not varied; it mainly includes trees and grass lawns with park benches. The names of the neighborhoods are not clearly present throughout the city.
Recreation areas include Nightingale Square, where citizens play sports or swim, and Industrial Hights with a playground for children. These areas seem to be popular among the community and especially crowded in the evening time. People in the city usually move on foot, by car, bicycle, or frequent public transport with bus stops available throughout the city. Other community services include healthcare institutions, such as doctor’s and dentist’s offices, an emergency department, social agencies, ABC Daycare Center, and green areas. All basic needs are available for the community in Joe’s Grocery, the bookstore, the pharmacy, and the Bodega store.
Sentinel City is mostly populated by Caucasian, and less frequently, Hispanic or African American people; other races are also present. Judging by the signs and billboards, the only language used in the city is English, which demonstrates that there are no ethnicities. The only church found was the Interfaith Church operating the soup kitchen. Excluding tax protests, the city cannot be characterized as politically active. The city’s media is limited to a bookstore and a radio station; cell phone towers were not found. According to billboards promoting electronic cigarettes and vaccination and social cause advertisements encouraging safe driving, the city may face typical problems such as car accidents, general diseases, and nicotine abuse. Other health issues include heart and lung conditions, diabetes, sexually transmitted diseases, and hypertension.
Data Analysis
The lack of physical activity is a major noticeable concern of Sentinel City. This problem may lead to certain health risks, for example, obesity in children. If not addressed timely, obesity can result in other co-existing diseases. The issue can be explained by the number of homeless people, crimes, and stray animals in the park. As a result, parents are worried about the possible dangers for their children and do not take them to the park. Together with unhealthy eating habits, it increases the risk of obesity.
Sentinel City Health Concerns
In Sentinel City, unfavorable social, economic, and environmental conditions result in major health concerns. The most widespread of them include sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), substance abuse, and obesity.
Sexually Transmitted Diseases
The reports demonstrate a high rate of STDs in Sentinel City, which requires urgent actions aimed at health promotion and elimination of risks. Therefore, the goal of the Healthy People 2020 program is to “promote healthy sexual behaviors, strengthen community capacity, and increase access to quality services to prevent sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) and their complications” (Sexually Transmitted Diseases, 2020, para. 1).
Substance Abuse
The high rate of substance abuse in Sentinel City is mostly connected with drugs and alcohol abuse. Healthy People 2020 program encourages to “reduce substance abuse to protect the health, safety, and quality of life for all, especially children” (Substance Abuse, 2020, para. 1).
Obesity
The increase in obesity in Sentinel City is caused by unhealthy eating habits and the lack of physical activity due to the external reasons and insufficient awareness of the community. Healthy People 2020 aims at reducing possible risks connected with unhealthy eating. Its measures include promoting healthy diets and an active lifestyle to control body weight (Nutrition and Weight Status, 2020).
Discussion of Community Resources
Obesity prevention in Sentinel City is supported by the Department of Parks and Recreation. A wide variety of programs promoting a healthy diet and regular exercise is available for citizens. For example, gardening courses for children and adults are aimed at educating the community about the health benefit of fresh vegetables. There are also nutrition courses, where citizens can learn about a variety of healthy diets and meal planning. As for active lifestyle promotion, indoor and outdoor sports activities are available for the whole family. Adults can attend fitness courses, while children may participate in special educational programs after school, including a summer program. The goal of children’s training is to show the variety of exercises and educate them about the benefits of an active lifestyle and healthy eating.
Primary Prevention Topic
Obesity was chosen as a primary prevention topic since it has gradually become a large-scale disease. The solution to the problem is the combination of healthy eating habits and proper exercising that together allow reaching and controlling body weight. To promote a healthy lifestyle, the city administration shall offer a range of programs aimed at raising people’s awareness about possible risks of obesity and ways to maintain health. Since obesity in Sentinel City is partly connected to the unfavorable social situation, the park should be properly secured in order to make it a safer place for family recreation. Another proposal is to reconsider overall nutrition and assortment in local supermarkets, such as Joe’s Grocery, to enlarge the choice of healthy products. Moreover, menus of cafes and restaurants, for example, Lily’s Place, should offer more choices for healthy eating.
References
Nutrition and Weight Status. (2020). Web.
Sexually Transmitted Diseases. (2020). Web.
Substance Abuse. (2020). Web.