Topic for Epidemiological Research

Designing an intervention can be challenging, as it is important to gather information about the selected topic and community of interest. Selecting a research topic is critical, especially when there are so many topics that seem important to study. A community needs assessment is a great way to begin creating an intervention, by first understanding the health problems within a community that need the most assistance.

For this assignment, you will perform a community needs assessment, demonstrating your understanding of the scope and magnitude of health problems within a community, and develop a fact sheet that could be used to share your needs assessment findings with community members.

Instructions
Complete this assignment in two parts.

Part 1: Needs Assessment

Select a public health problem or condition from a community of interest that is supported by data.
Apply evidence-based data to highlight the severity of an identified epidemiological issue in the community.
Analyze the risk factors based on the results of a needs assessment and other supporting data.
What are the risk factors for the selected problem?
Are these risk factors modifiable with behavior change?
What can community members do to prevent this problem?
Use the Needs Assessment Template, linked in the resources. Your needs assessment should be 3–5 pages in length.

Describe your selected population, and provide the relevant demographic data.
List three public health problems identified from the needs assessment.
Select the problem or condition you will be addressing, based on the data presented.
Identify who bears the burden of the selected problem or condition.
Identify five risk factors associated with the selected problem or condition.
Discuss disease trends of the past five years.