Public Health MAPP Matrix Part I: MAPP Matrix Needs Assessment
Community Themes and Strengths Assessments
Several health concerns associated with teen pregnancy exists. The first medical concern is the lack of sufficient prenatal care. The mother and the child lack sufficient care as the community neglects them, yet the young mother is inexperienced in parental matters and falls into mental problems such as depression. Moreover, the child born to a teenager may experience attachment concerns which might later affect their mental health as they grow up and in their adult ages (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2019). Prenatal care includes the regular and frequent checks of the baby’s position, any deficiencies, and other concerns which can be treated proactively if the parent is aware of the importance of prenatal care, and if they have the resources and courage to accept their condition (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2019).
In contemporary American society, quality of life is measured using one’s health, the economic capability to afford basic necessities and at least some luxuries, and on the basis of the environment, one is living in. Higher numbers of teen pregnancies retard economic growth and chances for the young mothers and children to get quality education and healthcare (Garney et al, 2019). Clearly, teen pregnancies are a negative factor in community health.
Assets available in the community include a sufficient number of healthcare facilities that offer prenatal care. There is a hospital at least 2 kilometers from every home in the estate that offers prenatal care. Moreover, there are 8 mental health consultants in the local municipality (Garney et al, 2019). Although they are some distance from my community, the infrastructure such as roads and rail leading to these facilities are well developed.
Local Public Health System Assessment (LPHSA)
The department of public health that constantly has public health nurses and assistants in the field educating people on public health concerns is available and can be instrumental in assisting victims of early pregnancies. The department is well educated on all matters of health and health education. They carry first aid kits and have easy contact with public ambulances in cases where they come across health emergencies needing early attention (Campbell, & Lehenbauer, 2019).
Although public health facilities and resources are available, they are limited to a point where the essential public health services are not efficiently provided to the community. Health status monitoring and diagnosis are mainly active when incidences of communicable diseases are communicated. Informing and educating the community is above per as the community gets both online and offline assistance from the public health workers (Campbell, & Lehenbauer, 2019). Mobilization of community partnerships is also limited as only religious gathering and educational institutions work with the public health department (Garney et al, 2019).
Development of strategies and enforcement of healthcare policies is well done through federal bodies such as the CDC and the aid of the effects at the local level, and are implemented in both healthcare and non-healthcare organizations. Research is also achieved by the federal and state-level agencies, and the public health department has also ensured that the personnel working in boosting the community health are competent healthcare professionals (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2019).
Community Health Status Assessment
Considering teen pregnancies, the quality of life is improving, but there is still a gap. 1.88% (18.8 pregnancies for every 1000) was reported to be teen (15 to 19 years old) pregnancies in 2018. The white community experienced 13.9% teen pregnancies countrywide (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2019). The lowest percentage was Asian-American teen pregnancies which were only 3.3%. The highest percentage occurred in the American Indian or Alaska natives, which represented 32.9% of teenage pregnancies (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2019). The African Americans, the Native Hawaiian and other Pacific Islanders, as well as the Hispanic communities each, represented a substantial percentage not below 25.5% and not above 29.9% (CDC, 2019).
The implication of these figures is that culture and lifestyle affect the population health considering teenage pregnancies. Relative to the level of education per the mentioned communities, it is clear that the higher the level of education the lower the number of teenage pregnancies. It also looks like the wealth gap contributes, as the wealthier communities experienced lower rates of teen pregnancies. Although the CDC mentions that there was an overall drop in the number of teen pregnancies, more sex education is vital to the school-going population from the ages of 12 to 20 (Wisniewski, & O’Connell, 2018).
Forces of Change Assessment
There are several occurrences that strengthen the public health of teenagers in relation to early pregnancies. Increased levels of education to children and teenagers, especially the female population reduces the number of teen pregnancies (Wisniewski, & O’Connell, 2018). Increased empowerment of women through the feminist movement and feministic oriented policies also enhance reduce the number of teen pregnancies as fewer women are abused sexually in silence. In addition, improved use of contraceptives and birth control also reach the teenagers in one way or the other, and it reduces teen pregnancies, though it is not a recommended way for the teenagers to go about resolving the early pregnancies.
There are also occurrences that have a chance to make the outcome of teenage pregnancies worse if unchecked. The increased use of technology such as smartphones amongst teenagers introduces these teenagers to pornography which increases early sexual activities in teenagers (Campbell, & Lehenbauer, 2019). Moreover, the increased cost of life which reduces the affordability of other means of enjoyment such as swimming and visiting parks increases the chances of teenagers turning to sex for entertainment. This increases the chances of teenage sex (Wisniewski, & O’Connell, 2018). Additionally, excessively busy parents with little to no time for their children allow their children to attend parties, get drunk earlier than their legal ages and hung out with other teenagers in groups which tempt them to engage in sexual activities without their parent’s knowledge of their whereabouts (Wisniewski, & O’Connell, 2018).
MAPP Matrix Needs Assessment References
Campbell, C., & Lehenbauer, K. R. (2019). Teenage Pregnancy: Time for Change and Action. Available at SSRN 3387949.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2019). The public health system and the 10 essential public health services. National Public Health Performance Standards. Office for State, Tribal, Local and Territorial Support, last modified, 29.
Garney, W., Wilson, K., Nelon, J., Muraleetharan, D., McLeroy, K., & Baletka, D. M. (2019). Ecological Approaches to Teen Pregnancy Prevention: An Examination of Evidence-Based Interventions. Health promotion practice, 20(4), 494-501.
Wisniewski, M. M., & O’Connell, H. A. (2018). Clinic access and teenage birth rates: Racial/ethnic and spatial disparities in Houston, TX. Social Science & Medicine, 201, 87-94.