Running head: HEALTHY LIVING AWARENESS 1

HEALTHY LIVING AWARENESS 9

Healthy Living Awareness

Student Name

Institution Affiliation

Healthy Living Awareness

Problem Statement

Need Statement:

Our project aims to address the need for health literacy within the Ethiopian community. Health literacy is the ability to understand and use health information in order to make informed decisions and take appropriate action to maintain and improve one's health. It is important to address this need because low health literacy significantly impacts community health. For example, individuals with low health literacy may be less likely to seek medical care when needed, may not understand how to take medications correctly, and may be at higher risk for chronic diseases such as diabetes and hypertension.

Several pieces of evidence support the urgency of addressing this need within the Ethiopian community. One key piece of evidence is the high level of interest in health and wellness within the community (Bernhart et al., 2021). Many members of the Ethiopian community have expressed a desire to learn more about how to maintain and improve their health but may face barriers such as cultural and language differences that make it difficult for them to access reliable health information.

Population and Setting:

The target population for our project is the Ethiopian community, specifically those who attend church regularly. The setting in which the project will be implemented is a church that serves a largely Ethiopian congregation. It is essential to address the identified need and target this population within a church setting because the church is a central gathering place for the community. Many members of the Ethiopian community attend church regularly, which provides an opportunity to reach many people with health education and resources (Bernhart et al., 2021). In addition, the church setting allows for a sense of community and support, which may be necessary for promoting and sustaining healthy behaviors.

Intervention (PICOT):

Purpose:

Our project aims to promote health and create healthy living awareness within the Ethiopian community in a church setting. We aim to do this by providing information and resources to community members on topics such as nutrition, physical activity, stress management, and chronic disease prevention (Lee, 2021).

Intervention:

The intervention we will use to address the identified need is a health education program tailored to the Ethiopian community's needs and interests. This may include workshops, seminars, and other educational events that are held at the church. We will also use printed materials and online resources to provide information and resources to community members.

Population:

The target population for the intervention is the Ethiopian community in a church setting. We will work closely with church leaders and community members to ensure that the program is relevant and meaningful to this population.

Outcomes:

The anticipated outcomes of our project include increased health literacy and improved health behaviors among Ethiopian community members in a church setting. As community members learn more about how to maintain and improve their health, they will be more likely to adopt healthy behaviors and make positive lifestyle changes.

Timeframe:

The timeframe for implementing our project will be determined based on the availability of resources and the community's needs. However, we expect the project to be implemented over several months, with ongoing efforts to maintain and expand upon the initial intervention. We will work closely with church leaders and community members to ensure that the program is sustainable and continues to meet the community's needs.

Comparison of Approaches

One alternative to the health education program outlined in our Intervention Overview is a community-based participatory research (CBPR) approach. CBPR is a collaborative research approach involving community members' active engagement and participation in all aspects of the research process (Corrigan, 2020). This approach has been shown to effectively promote health literacy and improve health behaviors within underserved populations. Compared to the interventions in our overview, a CBPR approach would encourage interprofessional care by involving multiple stakeholders, including healthcare providers, community leaders, and members of the Ethiopian community. This would allow for a more holistic and collaborative approach to addressing the identified need for health literacy.

In terms of fit with the target population, a CBPR approach is well-suited to the Ethiopian community because it emphasizes community members' active participation and empowerment. By involving community members in the research process, we can ensure that the intervention is relevant and meaningful to their needs and interests. A CBPR approach would also fit well with the target setting of a church because it emphasizes collaboration and partnership between community members and external organizations, such as the church (Corrigan, 2020). By involving the church in the research process, we can leverage its resources and networks to reach a more significant number of community members and promote sustained change.

Overall, a CBPR approach would likely be effective in addressing the identified need for health literacy within the Ethiopian community and the church setting (Parra‐Cardona et al., 2020). By involving community members in the research process, we can ensure that the intervention is relevant and meaningful to their needs and interests, and by partnering with the church, we can leverage its resources and networks to promote sustained change.

Initial Outcome Draft

One outcome we hope to achieve with our intervention and project is that the Ethiopian community is well aware of health and actively maintains healthy living behaviors. This outcome illustrates the purpose of our intervention and project, which is to promote health and create healthy living awareness within the community (CDC, 2021). This outcome also establishes a framework that can be used to achieve an improvement in the quality, safety, or experience of care within the Ethiopian community. By increasing health literacy and promoting healthy behaviors, we can help to reduce the burden of chronic diseases and improve overall health and well-being within the community.

Time Estimate

We propose a rough time frame of 10 days for developing our intervention. This time frame is realistic because it allows for sufficient time to engage with community members and stakeholders, conduct needs assessments, and create a detailed plan for the intervention. However, potential challenges could impact this time frame, such as a lack of motivation among community members or limited availability of resources. We also propose a rough time frame of 3-4 months for implementing our intervention (Ross et al., 2017). This time frame is realistic because it allows sufficient time to roll out the intervention, monitor progress, and make necessary adjustments. However, potential challenges could impact this time frame, such as a lack of motivation among team members or unexpected barriers to implementation.

Literature Review

There is strong evidence to validate the identified need for health literacy within the Ethiopian community and the appropriateness of addressing this need within a church setting. Health literacy, which is defined as the ability to understand and use health information to make informed decisions and take appropriate action to maintain and improve one's health, is a critical factor in promoting and maintaining good health. Studies have shown that individuals with low health literacy are more likely to have poor health outcomes, including higher rates of chronic disease and hospitalization, and are less likely to seek preventive care or follow treatment recommendations. Improving health literacy is a key strategy for addressing health disparities and promoting overall health and well-being.

The Ethiopian community is a significant population to target for health literacy efforts due to the unique challenges they may face in accessing reliable health information. Cultural and language differences can create barriers to understanding health information and seeking care, which may be particularly pronounced within the Ethiopian community (Janssen et al., 2012). By targeting our health education efforts within a church setting, we can reach a large number of community members in a familiar and supportive environment. Faith-based organizations effectively promote health behaviors and support individuals with chronic diseases, making the church an ideal setting for our health education program.

Regarding existing health policy, the Affordable Care Act (ACA) includes several relevant provisions to our identified needs and could impact the approach taken to address them. The ACA emphasizes the importance of promoting health literacy and increasing access to preventive care services, which aligns with our goals of improving health knowledge and behaviors within the Ethiopian community (Sanchez, 2015). The ACA also aims to reduce health disparities among underserved populations, which is relevant to the Ethiopian community. By aligning our project with the ACA's provisions, we can ensure that our efforts are consistent with national priorities and have the potential to be more sustainable in the long term.

Additionally, the ACA promotes patient-centered care and encourages the use of patient education and self-management strategies to improve health outcomes. This emphasis on empowering patients to take an active role in their own health care is consistent with our approach to health education within the Ethiopian community. By providing information and resources that enable community members to understand their health better and make informed decisions, we can help to improve health literacy and promote healthy behaviors.

Overall, the evidence supports the importance of addressing the identified need for health literacy within the Ethiopian community and the church setting. By targeting this population and setting, we can reach many individuals and provide them with the information and resources they need to maintain and improve their health (Mavreles Ogrodnick et al., 2021). By aligning our project with relevant health policy, we can ensure that our efforts are consistent with national priorities and have the potential to be more sustainable in the long term.

References

Bernhart, J. A., Wilcox, S., Saunders, R. P., Hutto, B., & Stucker, J. (2021). Program implementation and church members’ Health Behaviors in a countywide study of the faith, activity, and Nutrition Program. Preventing Chronic Disease, 18. https://doi.org/10.5888/pcd18.200224

CDC. (2021). NCCDPHP: Community Health. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Retrieved January 6, 2023, from https://www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/dch/programs/healthycommunitiesprogram/tools/index.htm

Corrigan, P. W. (2020). Community-based Participatory Research (CBPR), stigma, and health. Stigma and Health, 5(2), 123–124. https://doi.org/10.1037/sah0000175

Janssen, B. M., Van Regenmortel, T., & Abma, T. A. (2012). Balancing risk prevention and health promotion: Towards a harmonizing approach in care for older people in the community. Health Care Analysis, 22(1), 82–102. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10728-011-0200-1

Lee, M.-ryung. (2021). The effect of online health-promoting education program on e-health literacy, affect, and wellness in pre-service childcare teachers. Journal of the Korean Society for Wellness, 16(1), 48–54. https://doi.org/10.21097/ksw.2021.02.16.1.48

Mavreles Ogrodnick, M., O'Connor, M. H., & Feinberg, I. (2021). Health Literacy and Intercultural Competence Training. HLRP: Health Literacy Research and Practice, 5(4). https://doi.org/10.3928/24748307-20210908-02

Parra‐Cardona, R., Beverly, H. K., & López‐Zerón, G. (2020). Community‐based Participatory Research (CBPR) for underserved populations. The Handbook of Systemic Family Therapy, 491–511. https://doi.org/10.1002/9781119438519.ch21

Ross, A., Bevans, M., Brooks, A. T., Gibbons, S., & Wallen, G. R. (2017). Nurses and health‐promoting behaviors: Knowledge may not translate into self‐care. AORN Journal, 105(3), 267–275. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.aorn.2016.12.018

Rüegg, R., & Abel, T. (2021). Challenging the association between Health Literacy and Health: The role of Conversion Factors. Health Promotion International, 37(1). https://doi.org/10.1093/heapro/daab054

Sanchez, E. (2015). Leveraging the affordable care act for population health. The Practical Playbook, 185–194. https://doi.org/10.1093/med/9780190222147.003.0016