FACTORS AFFECTING

HEALTH
OF THE COMMUNITY
The (3) Three Features of Community;

-Chart of population
-Location of community
-Social system with in community
PEOPLE - A group of persons with common culture,
tradition, language, beliefs and organized group.
Factors related to Population variables that affect the
health of the community includes:

8 Educational Level
7 Social class
6 Mobility
5 Rate of Growth or Decline
4 Cultural characteristics
3 Composition
2 Density
1 Size
▪ Population size and density influence the
number size of health care institutions (Allender,
et al., 2009).

▪ Health needs of communities vary because of

differences in population composition by age,
sex, occupation, level of education, and other
variables (Allender, et al., 2009)

▪ Rapid growth or decline of population affects

the health of community (Allender, et al., 2009).
▪ Cultural characteristics of community refers to the
members of the community belong to a similar
cultural group ( cultural homogeneity) or are
multicultural (Allender, et al., 2009).

▪ People move from one place to another for various

reasons, such as to start a family, to take new job, or
to join another family member.

▪ The level of education and social class affect health

status because of differences in living conditions and
degree of access to resources and opportunity.
 LOCATION
The health of community is affected by natural and
man- made variables related to location.

Natural factors consist of the following:

- geographic
- climate
-flora
-fauna
✓ Geographic features consist of land and water forms
that influence food sources and prevalent occupations
in the community.
✓ Geography plays an important role in disasters, such as
earthquake, landslides, and floods.
✓ The Philippines has a tropical and maritime climate.
✓ Temperature humidity and rainfall are the most
important element in the weather and climate of the
country.
✓ The mean temperature in the Philippines is 26.6 °C .
✓ The January being the coolest month and May the
warmest.
▪ The Philippines has 2 seasons:

1. rainy season (tag-ulan) -

June to November
2. dry season ( tag-araw) –
December to February

Hot dry season from

March to May
(PAGASA, 2004a).
▪ Climate change brought about temperature spikes,
and it has been observed that warming is experienced
most in the northern and southern region of the country.
▪ The effects of climate change on human health are
evidenced by seasonal diseases such as :
diarrheal diseases, conjunctivitis (sore eyes),
heat stroke, and skin conditions like prickly
heat that goes up during the hot seasons.
▪ Natural disasters are frequent occurrence in the country.
▪ The geographic location of the Philippines makes it vulnerable to natural
hazards such as tropical cyclones called typhoons, extreme rainfall,
thunderstorms, and floods ( PAGASA, 2004b).
▪ Factors that contribute the health problem of urban communities
include; (higher population density with the resulting congestion,
concentrated poverty and slum formation, and greater exposure to
health risk and hazard leading to violence, traffic injuries, and obesity).
(DOH, 2011b).
▪ Rural areas are characterized by wide open space and low population
density.
▪ Air, water, and soil pollution poses health
hazards to the population.

▪ Outdoor air pollution is attributed to

transport and manufacturing activities,
which occur in concentration in urban
areas.

▪ Indoor air pollution is more prevalent

among low-income households in rural
area

▪ Soil pollution is mainly attributed to mining

industries farming, and households
activities (Asio et al.,2009).
 Social system with in community

SOCIAL SYSTEM– is the patterned series of interrelationships

existing between individuals, groups, and institutions and
forming a coherent whole (Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary, 2012b).
Social System components that affect health includes:
✓Family
✓Economic
✓Educational
✓Legal
✓Religious
✓Recreational
✓Communication
▪ Organization within the social system can be
formal or informal (Allender et al., 2009).
▪ 2 TYPES:
- Formal organization ( examples; A government
agency, a bank, and a school)
- Informal organization ( examples; neighborhood
friends and volunteers in barangay clean-up drive)
▪ Organization that have interaction and linkages and that
carry out similar functions form community systems or
subsystems (Allender et al., 2009).

▪ Community diagnosis requires a study of health care delivery

system.

▪ In additional to factor attributed to the characteristics of the

people and location of the community, it is important that the
nurse determines how well the health care system is
functioning (Allender et al., 2009).
Prepared by : Cristalyn T. Divino BSN -3