Health Promotion/Community Assessment Project
The proposed health promotion project targets Gwinnett County in Georgia to address the prevalent problem of obesity. The county is on the northern central part of the state with a population of 927,781 according to the 2018 census report (Population Estimates, 2018). It is one of the most populated regions in the state. Although obesity is common in other parts of the country, being a metropolitan area explains the prevalence of lifestyle diseases, including obesity in Gwinnett County.
The identified need in the community is obesity in adults. The chart in appendix 1 shows the rate of obesity, among other health issues, in Gwinnett County, GA (“The Adult Obesity Rate of Gwinnett County,” 2015). The data reveals a severe case of the disease in the country that necessitates careful intervention to reduce the numbers and improve the health of members of this community. The rate of obesity in the county is significantly high, considering the reality that the statewide average is 29 percent. Such a high percentage is partly due to socioeconomic and cultural aspects of the population, including access to processed foods and lifestyles, such formal jobs, which do not inspire adequate physical exercise (Wadden & Bray, 2018). Promotion of health behaviors in the county is necessary.
The high rate of obesity in the county necessitates effective intervention. A behavior change campaign through health promotion is required because obesity is a lifestyle disease. The proposed model includes a mediational psychological mechanism of obesity-related lifestyle changes (Teixeira et al., 2015). The model seeks to promote motivation, self-efficacy, and self-regulation skills to control the risk of developing obesity among adults.
The issue of obesity among adults in Gwinnett County, GA necessitates timely and effective intervention. The proposed plan includes the need for beneficial weight and physical activity outcomes among the target population. A health promotion program will be implemented to address the public health issue.
