2.I. Create an Epidemiological Profile
Begin by collecting information about the current health conditions of the focus population. Try to draw from as many resources as possible. State and local health departments, as well as some tribes, urban health organizations, Tribal Epi-Centers and the Indian Health Service, collect health-related information about Native communities. You can contact these departments and services to gather information about your specific community. There is often an epidemiologist at the local or state level who can assist in compiling and interpreting reports. If you are a clinic or community-based organization serving Native populations, then there may be useful information in your agency’s databases; research the number of clients served, types of problems or services recorded, referrals made to other agencies, and so on. Local data are the most persuasive and relevant when creating a CSA, but if none exists, then research national statistics and demographics about Native people.
Consult Module 3: Epidemiology of HIV/AIDS among Native Communities for tips on finding accurate data, resource suggestions, and health statistics and fact sheets about HIV/AIDS and Native populations.
CASE IN POINT:
The Bureau of Disease Control and Prevention in the Kansas Department of Health and Environment publishes epidemiological profiles through its HIV/AIDS Surveillance Program. The program’s primary goal is to monitor the course of HIV infection in Kansas by providing quality demographic data to all users. The information in the epidemiological profiles is used by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), local health departments, community-based organizations, the general public, and University-based research departments. You can access the epidemiological profiles from 2002, 2003, and 2004 here.
Through its Community Health Assessment Program and Epidemiology and Response Division, the New Mexico Department of Health published a New Mexico American Indian Health Status Report in 2005. The report was created as a data resource for the tribal communities and for those who work for/with American Indian people in New Mexico.
Click here to see an example of Our Town’s creation of an Epidemiological Profile (or Epi Profile), which can be used as a template for your Epi-Profile.
2.II. Defining the Bigger Question
The information you gathered from the epidemiological profile will help frame the overarching question: what do you need to know about the community in order to make a difference?
Using an example of high state HIV rates in Native youth, some questions might be:
- Where are the specific geographical areas in the community that have a higher incidence of infection?
- What is the gender of the youth?
- Are these out-of-school youth?
- What access do they have to condoms or other types of birth control?
- Do they know condoms not only help prevent pregnancy, but also the transmission of HIV and other sexually transmitted infections (STIs)?
- What are their beliefs about condoms?
- Do they use condoms?
- What are cultural beliefs and behaviors about other types of birth control?
- What are their perceptions of their risk for HIV?
- What types of interventions would they respond to or would be most effective?
To ensure that your needs assessment will address your focus population in a holistic and accurate manner, think about the following before you begin:
- What geographical area will be included in your needs assessment?
- What communities will be included?
- Who from the community needs to be included in the planning?
- Who will ultimately benefit from the needs assessment?
- Over what period of time will you use the information? (For example, will you use it for planning purposes over the next three years?)
Click here for an example of how Our Town defined the bigger question. |
