Community Nutrition in
Action 8e Marie A. Boyle
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, Community Needs Assessment Assignment from Marie A. Boyle, Community Nutrition in Action, 8th ed., Core ISBN:
9780357367957
Community Needs Assessment Assignment
from Marie A. Boyle, Community Nutrition in Action, 8th ed., Core ISBN: 9780357367957
written by Virginia B. Gray, PhD, RD
Introduction
Successful community nutrition programs are based on understanding both the needs and
desires of the community. In this assignment, you will practice planning and carrying out a
community needs assessment, using the steps described in Chapter 5: Community Needs
Assessment.
Step 1: Set the parameters of the assessment.
Defining the community of interest is an important first step in a community needs
assessment. As discussed in Chapter 5, there are times in which a community needs
assessment investigates the needs of a given community (e.g., geographical area), and then
a target audience is selected based on needs and desires of the community and available
resources to meet them. At other times, the target audience is decided at the outset.
For this assignment, you are to select a target population at the beginning to help focus
your investigation. Being specific will ensure that you are able to obtain needed data to
meet the needs of your audience. In selecting a target population, you may consider needs
you have noticed in your community. For example, imagine you are a volunteer with a local
organization serving congregate meals to older adults and you have noticed that the older
adults served often mention experiencing constipation. Or you may have a young family
member who participates in youth sports, and you notice that children are commonly
refueling on high-sugar, low-protein “junk” foods after games.
Some potential target audiences you might select for this assignment include:
• Low-income pregnant women (you may further specify a particular race or ethnicity)
• School children living in a food desert
• Older adults participating in home-delivered meals or a congregate feeding
program
• Parents of children involved in youth sports
• Food-insecure students on a college campus
• Homeless individuals seeking meals at a local shelter
Note: It is recommended that you select a target population in or near the community in
which you live, as this will facilitate collection of new data when necessary.
1. Describe your target population.
2. State the overall goal(s) of conducting the needs assessment. What is the purpose of
the assessment? Your goal(s) should communicate a broad overview of what you
intend to accomplish by conducting the needs assessment.
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website, in whole or in part.
, Community Needs Assessment Assignment from Marie A. Boyle, Community Nutrition in Action, 8th ed., Core ISBN:
9780357367957
3. Now write objectives for your needs assessment. These objectives should be specific
and measurable, and will determine the types of data you collect as a part of your
needs assessment.
Step 2: Develop a data collection plan.
In this step, you create a data collection plan, thinking of the three categories of needs
assessment data: community data, community environment and background conditions,
and individuals who represent the target population. Note:
• Refer to Table 5-2 for examples of types and sources of community data to collect.
• Refer to Table 5-3 for examples of types and sources of data about the community
environment and background conditions.
• Refer to Table 5-4 for examples of types and sources of data to collect about the
target population.
First, make a list of the types of data you would like to collect in the first column of a
table. (See Appendix D in your text for an example of how to format the table.) In
the second column, indicate if there are existing sources for retrieving the needed
data or if you would have to collect new data. Then use the third column to indicate
the source of data (for existing data) or how you would collect the data (for new
data). For example, you might include “belief in link between diet and health” as a
type of data related to the target audience. You may indicate you would collect
these data directly from the target audience, using a focus group and/or survey.
In your plan, be sure to include at least one of each of the following sources of data:
o Existing data
o Relevant literature related to nutrition status of the target population, health
beliefs of the target audience, and effective nutrition interventions among
similar audiences
o Key informant(s)
o Direct assessment of the target audience
Note: As you are developing a plan for data collection, be sure to address the objectives you
set for the community needs assessment in Step 1.
Step 3: Collect data.
In this step, you collect data about the community, about the community environment and
background conditions, and about individuals who represent the target population. Use
the chart you created in Step 2 to guide your data collection; then create a new chart to
summarize the data you collect.
Check to ensure that you have met the objectives you set for the needs assessment
previously in Step 1.
© 2022 Cengage. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible 2
website, in whole or in part.
, Community Needs Assessment Assignment from Marie A. Boyle, Community Nutrition in Action, 8th ed., Core ISBN:
9780357367957
Step 4: Analyze and interpret the data.
Reflect on what you learned in Step 3.
• What did you learn about the community (demographics, health statistics, economic
level, etc.)?
• What did you learn about the community environment and background conditions
(food availability, resources, social and cultural norms, policies, etc.)?
• What did you learn about the target population’s needs, wants, motivations, attitudes,
etc.?
• What does the nutrition literature say about your target population’s nutrition status
and health beliefs? What does the literature say about effective means of
intervention?
Your job in this step is to relate the needs of the target population to the broader
community setting (resources and characteristics).
After reflecting on the questions listed in Step 4, create a summary that indicates:
• A description of the nutrition status of the target population. Remember to focus on
the most prevalent needs and concerns, and to relate needs and wants of the target
audience to the broader community environment and background conditions.
• Community and target audience resources that might be used to address needs.
• Barriers and facilitators related to community needs and wants.
Step 5: Share the findings of the assessment.
Make a list of key people with whom you would share findings of the assessment.
Remember to involve those who provided input as you were gathering data. Also, consider
key stakeholders and organizations who will be affected by the plan of action you take in
response to the community needs assessment.
Step 6: Set priorities.
Table 5-14 provides guidance related to setting priorities for action based on community
needs assessment data. After reviewing the table, look back at the data you collected in
Step 3. Choose one or two priorities for action. For each priority, indicate the following:
• Nutrition priority to be addressed (indicate the priority and why you chose it)
• Relationship with national nutrition priorities (consider Dietary Guidelines for
Americans and/or Healthy People 2030)
Step 7: Choose a plan of action.
After completing the needs assessment, you are ready to develop a plan of action. Indicate
which issues you will address and how you will address them. There are many options for
action after investigating community needs. The community nutritionist may:
• Use community assessment findings to advocate for a change in policy.
• Organize a workshop or conference with community leaders and stakeholders to
explore future actions.
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website, in whole or in part.
