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Community Assessment & EBI Paper

Community Assessment & EBI Paper: Sarasota County

Grace Andleman

College of Nursing, University of South Florida

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Community Assessment & EBI Paper

Community Assessment & EBI Paper

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, “a community health

assessment gives organizations comprehensive information about the community’s current health

status, needs, and issues” (CDC, 2019). This comprehensive information is directly related to the

health status of the community as well as health outcomes. After this relevant data is collected, a

team of health care professionals can develop and execute a plan of care that includes evidence-

based interventions to address the health priorities and population diagnoses that were identified.

One priority health concern that Sarasota County struggles with is their high rates of overweight

adults (FDOH, 2021).

Overview of Sarasota County

Sarasota County is in the middle of Florida’s western Gulf Coast. Approximately, 60

miles south bound of the greater Tampa Bay area, Sarasota County is home to cities such as

Sarasota, Venice, Longboat Key, Englewood, Laurel, Nokomis, Osprey, and North Port. In this

county resides approximately just over 444,000 permanent residents; this does not include the

multitude of snowbirds who reside there temporarily in the winter months (Census.gov, 2021).

As far as racial origin, Sarasota County is predominantly populated by Whites (91.2%), followed

by Latinos (10.1%), Blacks or African Americans (4.7%), and Asians (2.0%) (Census.gov,

2021). The median household income that was calculated from 2017-2021 was just under

$70,000 (Census.gov, 2021). On the other hand, 8.6% of Sarasota County’s population are living

in poverty due to different circumstances (Census.gov, 2021). This county is home to a handful

of hospitals, free standing clinics, and rehabilitation services that cater to the needs of the

community regardless of socioeconomic status. Some of the leading hospitals in the area that

provide quality care include Sarasota Memorial Hospital, in Sarasota and Venice, HCA Florida
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Community Assessment & EBI Paper

Sarasota Doctors Hospital, and HCA Florida Englewood Hospital. The historical context of

Sarasota County has been predominantly characterized in a rural context, based on the current

development patterns and public policy in place to preserve the historical character. In the past

two decades, the County has seen exponential growth in the community as a tourist destination

and desirable community to reside. As the County continues to shape its urban character along

the west, while preserving the rural character to the east, can lead to a strain onto the current

health systems in place and cause operational or capacity concerns. These concerns could

directly impact the community members who are vulnerable to lack of healthcare opportunities.

When looking at Sarasota County’s three major employers, Sarasota Memorial Health Care

System, PGT Innovations, and Sun Hydraulics take the lead (EDC Sarasota County, 2022).

Benchmark Comparison of Local vs. State Populations

There is a wide array of socioeconomic factors that affect health outcomes within

Sarasota County. According to the Florida Department of Health, 8.1% of the Sarasota County

population fall below the federal poverty level (FDOH, 2021). In comparison, 13.1% of Florida’s

population falls below the federal poverty level (FDOH, 2021). In 2021, the percentage of

individuals greater than the age of 25 without a high school diploma in this county was 6.3%,

compared to Florida at 11% (FDOH). 4.8% of members of the community are over the age of 5

and do not speak English (FDOH, 2021). In contrast, 11.8% of individuals who are over the age

of 5 in the state of Florida do not speak English (FDOH, 2021). Per 100,000 population there are

23.6 Florida licensed family care physicians, compared to Florida at 18.8. (FDOH, 2021).

Analysis of County Health Outcomes

Comprehensive analysis of county health outcomes are imperative so that communities

can identify strengths and weaknesses that are likely to affect their health in the future. When it
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Community Assessment & EBI Paper

comes to domestic violence offenses in Sarasota County (per 100,000 population), it scored 2.0,

while the state of Florida scored a 5.5 (FDOH, 2021). Adults who have quit smoking in Sarasota

County is higher (35.1%) than Florida as a whole (26.3%) (FDOH, 2021). These are two key

strengths in Sarasota County that set it apart from state benchmarks. But there is also room for

improvement in this county. Residents of Sarasota County have higher rates of becoming

infected with the intestinal illness Cyclosporiasis. Sarasota County scored a 3.3 versus the state

of Florida with a 1.5 (3 yr. rate per 100,000) (FDOH, 2021). The ratio of population to primary

care physicians, in Sarasota County is 1,320:1 and in the state of Florida 1,370:1 (FDOH, 2021).

Population-Specific Priority Health Issue

Based on the community health assessment of Sarasota County, there are higher rates of

adults who are obese than that of Florida. The percentage of obese adults in Sarasota County is

29.8% and in Florida 27% (FDOH, 2021). Although this percentage is under the target goal of

the U.S. Department of Health’s Healthy People, the number of adults who are obese is still of

concern for Sarasota County. Just because the target goal may be reached, it does not mean that

rates of obesity should be ignored. Obesity can lead to several health problems and serious

conditions that can eventually lead to repercussions down the road and even death. In Sarasota

County, males 40-60 years of age are at risk for obesity due to having bigger appetites, and other

factors too that include poor metabolism, diet, genetics, etc. (FDOH, 2021).

Social Determinants of Health Model

According to the Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, the Social

Determinants of Health (SDOH) Model, reflects different factors that affect health risks and

health outcomes; these factors include access and quality of healthcare and education, social and

community context, economic stability, and neighborhood and built environment (2022). Based
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Community Assessment & EBI Paper

off this model, health concerns are identified and interventions that address a population are

developed. Factors that specifically affect the high rates of obesity in Sarasota County include

economic instability, low social status, environmental conditions, availability of healthy foods,

and poor health literacy.

Community/Population-Based Interventions

Evidence-based interventions are essential as they have shown to be highly effective in

addressing health issues amongst communities due to the incorporation of the best available

research. Since these interventions aim to provide the most effective care, this results in

improved health outcomes. They also encourage and guide individuals to make the best health

care decisions that will benefit their health in the long run.

Primary Level of Prevention

In 2019 a systemic literature review was conducted by a group of professionals to determine

the correlation between physical activity and weight. They went into further research to

specifically determine if physical activity can prevent weight gain in adults. The designs used in

the study that were utilized were RCTs and cohort studies (Jakicic et al., 2019). Participants The

results reflected that there was strong evidence that the prevention of weight can be avoided by

exercising and physical activity (Jakicic et al., 2019). Therefore, Sarasota County, specifically

males 40-60 years of age should be implementing an exercise routine in order to prevent weight

gain or obesity. This is an imperative lifestyle behavior that needs to be adhered to.

Conclusion

Although the benchmark comparison of Sarasota County versus Florida is not

significantly different, Sarasota County needs to address the number of overweight adults in its

community. Excessive weight gain and obesity can cause a numerous amount of health concerns.
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Community Assessment & EBI Paper

It is evident that participating in some sort of physical activity or exercise is important to prevent

weight gain and obesity. With the help of the Department of Health in Sarasota County,

initiatives must be developed to address this priority health concern. Some ways to skillfully

handle this issue would be by educating on the importance of exercise and creating community-

based exercise groups/classes exclusively for men, women, or gender-neutral individuals.

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Community Assessment & EBI Paper

References

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2019). CDC - assessment and plans - community

health assessment - STLT Gateway. CDC.gov.

https://www.cdc.gov/publichealthgateway/cha/plan.html

Economic Development Corporation Sarasota County. (2022). Top industry employers.

https://www.edcsarasotacounty.com/top-industry-employers/

Florida Department of Health. (2020). County health profile - 2018: Sarasota County.

http://www.flhealthcharts.com/ChartsReports/rdPage.aspx?

rdReport=ChartsProfiles.CountyHealthProfile

Healthy People 2030. (2022). Social determinants of health. Healthy People 2030.

https://health.gov/healthypeople/priority-areas/social-determinants-health

Jakicic, J. M., Powell, K. E., Campbell, W. W., Dipietro, L., Pate, R. R., Pescatello, L. S.,

Collins, K. A., Bloodgood, B., & Piercy, K. L. (2019). Physical Activity and the

Prevention of Weight Gain in Adults: A Systematic Review. Medicine and science in

sports and exercise, 51(6), 1262–1269. https://doi.org/10.1249/MSS.0000000000001938

U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts: Sarasota city, Florida. (n.d.). Census.gov.

https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/sarasotacityflorida