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Community Assessment
It is the process by which data are compiled regarding a community’s health

status and resources and from which nursing diagnoses are derived.
Population or Community health assessment can be approached from two
perspectives:
1. A need assessment approach: focuses on community health
problems .
2. A population assessment approach: on the other hand, provides an
overall picture of community health status, including community
strengths and assets as well as needs and needs or problems.
 Functions community health assessment :

1. Identifying problems.
2. Risk factors.
3. Needs as perceived by its members.
4. Determining its interests and priorities related to health.
5. Describing population lifestyles.
6. Delineating community strengths and resources.
7. Facilitates decision making, particularly with respect to resources
allocation.
8. Provide skill training for residents.
9. Facilitates group mobilization.
10. Enables consciousness raising.
 Principles of Community Health Assessment:
1. Multiple sources of information should be sought to provide an overall
picture of community health rather than the view of one segment of the
population.
2. Assessment should address the needs of specific subgroups within the
population (e.g., vulnerable populations such as the elderly or members
of diverse cultural groups).
3. Assessment should consider all potential stakeholders in the
population. Stakeholders are those concerned with the outcome of the
assessment (e.g., community residents, officials, health care providers,
funders).
4. Assessment should identify population assets as well as needs and
problems.
5. Assessment should be conducted or directed by persons with
experience in population health assessment.
 Data Sources for Population Health Assessment:

Assessment data may be either quantitative or qualitative.
1. Quantitative data reflect numbers of people, characteristics, or events
within the population. (number of people in specific age or ethnic
groups and rates of specific diseases and causes of death within the
population).
2. Qualitative data focus on perceptions of health, attitudes, and health
concerns as voiced by members of the population (community
members’ identification of adolescent pregnancy, substance abuse).
 Types of Community Needs Assessment

Assessment for nurses means collecting and evaluating information about a
community’s health status to discover existing or potential needs and assets
as a basis for planning future action. Assessment involves two major activities.
The first is collecting of pertinent data, and the second is analysis and
interpretation of data.
1. Community needs assessment I:
This type of needs assessment seeks to evaluate the strengths and weaknesses
within a community and create or improve services based on the identified
weaknesses. Organizing this type of needs assessment is primarily structured
around how to best obtain information, opinions, and input from the
community and then what to do with that information.
2. Community needs assessment II :
This type of needs assessment is constructed around a known problem or

potential problem facing the community for example, disaster preparedness,
how to address an increase in violent crime etc.
3. Community needs assessment III:
This final type of needs assessment is based within an organization which

either serves the community at large, is currently addressing a need within
the community, or is dedicated to an under-served population within the
community. This type of needs assessment centers around improving the
efficiency or effectiveness of such organizations.
 Type of Community Health Assessment

1. Familiarization or Windshield Survey:
It involves studying data already available on a community, then
gathering a certain amount of firsthand data in order to gain a working
knowledge of the community.
Nurses drive (or walk) around the community of interest; find health,
social, and governmental services; obtain literature.
2. Problem-Oriented Assessment:
It begins with a single and assesses the community in terms of that
problem.
3. Community Subsystem Assessment:

In community subsystem assessment, the CHN focuses on a single
dimension of community life (e.g., the nurse might decide to survey
churches and religious organizations to discover their roles in the
community).
4. Comprehensive Assessment:
It seeks to discover all relevant community health information. It begins
with a review of existing studies and all the data presently available on
the community .
A survey compiles all the demographic information on the population,
such as its size, density, and composition.
 Methods Community Assessment
1. Surveys
A survey is an assessment method in which a series of questions is used
to collect data for analysis of specific group or area.
To plan and conduct community health surveys, the goal should be to
determine the variables (selected environmental, socio-economic, and
behavioral conditions or needs) that affect a community ability to
control disease and promote wellness.
2. Descriptive Epidemiologic Studies

It examines the amount and distribution of a disease or health
condition in a population
by person (Who is affected?),
by place (Where does the condition occur?),
by time (When do the cases occur?).
They are useful for suggesting which individuals are at greatest risk and
where and when the condition might occur. They are useful for health
planning purposes.
3. Community Forums or Town Hall Meetings:

It is a qualitative assessment method designed to obtain community
opinions.
4. Focus Group:
It is similar to the community forum or town hall meeting in that it is
designed to obtain grassroots opinion.
 Sources of Community Data:
Data sources can be
1. primary :Community members, including formal leaders, informal
leaders, and community members, can frequently offer the most
accurate insights and comprehensive information.
2. Secondary
People who know the community well and the records; examples are
health team members, client records, community health (vital)
statistics, census bureau data, reference books, research reports, and
community health nurses.
3. International Sources:
World Health Organization (WHO) and its six regional offices and
health organizations.
4. National Sources :

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Community Assessment

It is the process by which data are compiled regarding a community’s health

 Functions community health assessment :

 Data Sources for Population Health Assessment:

 Types of Community Needs Assessment

1. Community needs assessment I:

2. Community needs assessment II :

This type of needs assessment is constructed around a known problem or

3. Community needs assessment III:

This final type of needs assessment is based within an organization which

 Type of Community Health Assessment

3. Community Subsystem Assessment:

2. Descriptive Epidemiologic Studies

3. Community Forums or Town Hall Meetings:

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