PH 210: Epidemiology for Public Health Practice

Dr. Grosskopf
Lab #10: Epidemiology for Public Health Promotion

NOTE: You will need to make use of publicly available data sources to complete this lab.

1. Assume that you are comparing the relative importance of several different health problems in a New York City
neighborhood. Your goal is to prioritize which health problem(s) to address. There are very limited resources
available, which is why you must decide how they should be spent in a way to enhance community and public
health.

a. What neighborhood/community have you identified? Queens Community District 4 (Elmhurst and
Corona (Including Corona, Corona Heights,
b. Elmhurst and Lefrak City).

c. What are currently the most pressing health problems in this neighborhood/community? Top 10 leading
cause of death/# of deaths in Elmhurst and Corona

d. Heart disease: 976

e. Cancer: 788
f. Flu/pneumonia: 219
g. Diabetes mellitus: 95
h. Stroke: 118
i. Hypertension: 77
j. Accidents (excluding drug poisoning): 72
k. Suicide: 49
l. Lower respiratory diseases: 81
m. Liver disease: 38

n. List the criteria that you will use to prioritize the various problems in this neighborhood/community:
neighborhood and schools, modes of transportation, local food availbility, food advertising, and
governmental polices

o. What have you identified as a top priority health problem? Obesity because it leads to heart disease.

p. Identify several behaviors that influence that problem: passive entertainment, low physical activity, and
poor nutrition.

q. List the criteria that you will use to assess which of the behaviors are most important AND most
changeable: Prioritization matrix: More changeable/More Important (high priority for program focus),
More changeable/Less Important (Low priority except to demonstrate change for political
purposes),Less changeable/More Important (Priority for innovative program; evaluation crucial),
Less changeable/Less Important (No program)

r. Which behavior is the most important and most changeable? physical activity

s. Identify at least 3 predisposing, 3 enabling and 3 reinforcing factors that are relevant to your top priority
behavior:

Predisposing Enabling Reinforcing

Factor #1 attitudes Accessibility influences
Factor #2 beliefs affordability conceptualization of
health
Factor #3 perceived needs & resources & policy to social support
abilities physical activity &
nutrition