COMMUNITY HEALTH

INTRODUCTION

Community is a group of people who have common characteristics definable by

location, race, ethnicity, age, occupation, interests in particular problems or
outcomes , or common bonds.

According to WHO : Community health refers to the health status of the members
of the community to the problems affecting their health and to the totality of health
care provided for the community.

Community health is defined as the group of individuals living in a society who aims
to maintain, protect and improve the health of the people.
Why community health?

The theme common to community health and social sciences is human behaviour,
many community health problems in essence are social problems and in turn these
social problems affects the health of the community.

Community health can impact a person’s life in the following 5 ways :

1. Better physical health

2. Better mental health
3. Stronger community support
4. Cleaner environment
5. More holistic education opportunities
 Socioeconomic status in community health

People with higher professional status enjoy more work autonomy, engage in less
manual labour, have fewer occasions of being exposed to health risks. Similarly
higher incomes are usually associated with better nutritious status, housing
conditions, medical services etc.

The low socioeconomic group are vulnerable to infectious diseases as they are either
not aware of the health programmes, lack of affording costs for health facilities.
Factors of community health
A.Physical Factors Examples

1. Geography Dry, tropical

2. Environment Polluted or not

3. Community size Depending upon individuals involved

4. Industrial development Metropolitan or rural

B. Social and cultural factors

1. Traditions and beliefs

2. Economy
3. Politics
4. Socioeconomic status
Community Diagnosis
According to WHO, it is a quantitative and qualitative description of the
health of citizens and the factors which influence their health. It identifies
the problems, proposes areas for improvement and stimulates action.
Community diagnosis involves the following process:

1. Recognize the issue

2. Gain community entry
3. Organize people
4. Assess the community
5. Set goals and priorities
6. Arriving at a solution
7. Selecting strategies
8. Implementing plans
9. Evaluating outcomes
10.Maintaining outcomes
Family Adoption Programme

Community engagement gives medical students a first hand experience of

the living conditions of the people they encounter as patients in the
hospital.

The students also understand how various determinants of health

influence patients in real life.

The speciality of community medicine serves the dual purpose of

benefiting the medical students, as well as the community which the
institution has adopted.
The NMC has mandated family adoption programme for MBBS students
from 2022 every student is to be allotted at least 5 families.

The student is expected to establish rapport, understand their health

and related factors, and help improve the health care of the family, and
the community.

With proper motivation and supervision this programme can create a

significant difference in medical education and also the lives of adopted
families.