5 credits

It is important for health educators and other health professionals to understand the unique characteristics and health needs of a community in order to provide effective and relevant health education and services. Students in this course will be introduced to the principles and processes of needs assessment and community capacity-building as a first step in the program planning process. Students will learn about individual, small-group, and community-based assessments as well as quantitative and qualitative approaches. Students will directly apply what they are reading and discussing in class to their own communities by conducting a assessment unique to their community. Other topics covered include use of primary and secondary data; selection and development of instrumentation to collect community data; interpretation and analysis of data; and prioritization of health education needs. Community mapping tools and other technology used in the assessment process will also be explored.